DAVE ROSS

The flaws in ‘Republicare’ are something we can all get behind

Feb 26, 2016, 5:21 AM | Updated: 5:51 am

Republican presidential candidates Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla) and Donald Trump argue while answering ...

Republican presidential candidates Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla) and Donald Trump argue while answering a question during the Republican Presidential Primary Debate at the University of Houston. The debate was also the debut of "Republicare," which KIRO Radio's Dave Ross fully supports, based on how it was explained Thursday. (AP)

(AP)

At Thursday’s debate, we finally got the outline of a Republican replacement for Obamacare.

Marco Rubio said your company would give you what amounts to healthcare bucks.

“And you can use that money only for healthcare, but you can use it to fund healthcare any way you want; or, a private plan from any company in any state in the country,” he explained. “And if you don’t have that you would have a refundable tax credit.”

Related: Republicans need some honey before they bite into a Supreme Court deal

So you buy your own health care, and if you can’t afford to, you get a refundable tax credit from the government. That sounds familiar.

And Donald Trump agreed with Rubio, especially about letting any state sell any plan. But he would go even further.

“I want to keep pre-existing condition,” Trump said.

Where have I heard that before?

But if you’re going to do that and cover everybody, regardless of how sick they are, insurance companies will require everybody to buy insurance. Trump says that is “100 percent” wrong.

OK, no mandate.

To summarize: this plan, which I guess we could call Republicare, allows you to choose your insurance from a marketplace &#8211 like Obamacare &#8211 except there are no national standards for comparing policies. You’d be buying from 50 different states setting 50 different standards. But because there’s no mandate, you wouldn’t bother buying insurance at all until you got sick, and then you’d just let the tax credits pay for it.

I LOVE it!

Dave's Commentary

Dave Ross on KIRO Newsradio 97.3 FM
  • listen to dave rossTune in to KIRO Newsradio weekdays at 5am for Dave Ross on Seattle's Morning News.

Dave Ross

car culture...

Dave Ross

Ross: Are we killing car culture? Or is car culture killing the US?

I don’t think the question is whether we're going to "kill" our car culture. The real question is can we stop our car culture from killing the U.S.?

3 days ago

drivers data insurance...

Dave Ross

Ross: As cars release driving data to insurance, is your driving my business?

Every move you make, every swerve you take, every lane change you fake – someone’s watching you. Do drivers have a right to keep driving data private?

10 days ago

rent control...

Dave Ross

Ross: Rent control was never the answer in Wash.

The rent control bill died in the Washington State Legislature this week, even though Democrats control both houses.

30 days ago

end of democracy...

Dave Ross

Ross: Conservative activist earns applause for pledging an ‘end of Democracy’

The theme from Jack Posobiec's speech is that Jan. 6 was a righteous attack not on democracy, but on those who threaten democracy.

1 month ago

Image: Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colorado, is seen on Capitol Hill on Jan. 6, 2023. (Photo: Alex Brand...

Dave Ross

Ross: Voters can help cull bad politicians from the herd early

Let's remember that just about every occupant of a higher office once occupied a lower office, and was put there by us, Dave Ross says.

1 month ago

Super Bowl celebration...

Dave Ross

Ross: The NFL does it again

The NFL once again put on a show that was able to keep me tuned in for four hours even though I had no stake in either team.

1 month ago

The flaws in ‘Republicare’ are something we can all get behind