So often I have heard ignorant people talking about the current health care debate. I have offered to them on various occasions to “show me someone that needs health care and is not getting it and I will take him to an emergency room myself,” where they will get care free of charge (to them). This was something that I had much occasion to do in my emerency medical sevices days.

More often though, lately I have been hearing more and more of the trite liberal talking point that the Republican party is the partyof “no”. “They have no solution of their own to offer, they just want to vote ‘no’!” bray my liberal acquaintances. While this makes for a catchy bumper sticker, there is another aspect which must be examined first.

Bear in mind that I myself am not a Republican — and that I am not in opposition at all to simply voting “no” when it comes to “fixing” the worlds most capable and respected health care system in the world. I resist most strenuously the attempt to tamper with such a wonderful system that we enjoy here in the United States.

What I am addressing here is the preposterous notion that Republicans have no plan of their own to offer. I do not blame those who suffer from the massive ignorance on the issue because after all, you will never hear or see these proposals on the regular news channels or in the popular newspapers. You will never hear these proposals being discussed in sports bars or in Big Government lunch rooms. You will never hear President Obama talk about them because it is reported that he has not even returned any calls from any Republican since he took office. You will not hear Nancy Pelosi or Harry Reid talk about these suggestions for health care reform either because they will likely be found spewing hatred against the Republicans for being “evil” and”Nazis” or “stupid” rather than listening and trying to understand a plan that does not seize more power from the people.

Here is a little synopsis of just some Republican proposals for health care that may likely ruin the next  “rant party” hosted by your ignorant liberal friends. Imagine how much sputtering and foaming at the mouth will occur when you put forth such logical arguments and actual proposed laws! Many avoid analytical discourse and gravitate toward emotion and rhetoric instead.

–Empowering Patients First Act- July 2009 – H.R. 3400 – grants access to affordable, quality health care for all Americans. Covers pre-existing conditions, protects employee sponsored insurance, seeks to decreae the cost of health care through decreasig “defensive medicine.”

–ImprovingHealth Care for All Americans Act – July, 2009 – Allows American that are happy with their health care to keep it. Provides pooling mechanisms and group plan choices for everyone. Pre-existing conditions are covered at affordable rates. Keeps families in charge of their health care, not Big Government.

– Medical Rights and Reform Act – June 2009 – Lowers cost and expands access without compromising the doctor-patient relationship. Expands access to Americans without health insurance.

– Help Efficient, Accessible, Low-cost, Timely Healthcare (HEALTH) Act – June 2009 – Reduces medical costs by reducing frivolous lawsuits by abolishing financial incentives for filing expansve lawsuits. Addresses limits on “pain and suffering” as well as punitive damages that cause health care costs to spiral out of control.

– Small Business Health Fairness Act of 2009 –  May 2009 – Attempts to make health care more affordable and more accessible.

– Promoting Health and Preventing Chronic Disease through Prevention and Wellness Programs for Employees, Communities,and Individuals Act of 2009 – July 2009 – To amend the Intenal Revenue Code to promote the use of preventive and wellness programs.

– Improved Employee Access to Health Insurance Act of 2009 – July 2009 – To prevent states from limiting employers from using auto-enrollment for employee health insurance coverage.

– Health Insurance Access for Young Workers and College Students Act of 2009 – October 2009 – Seeks to improve health insurance coverage of dependents (dependents on parents – not on Big Government).

These are a few of the Republican proposals that have been brought up by Republicans in the last year. They may never have seen the light of publicity because they were likely immediately intercepted by the controlling party of Congress that wishes to portray the minority party as the pary of “no”.

What they have in common are the following premises:

-Let families and businesses buy health insurance across state lines.
– Allow individuals, small businesses, and trade associations to pool together and acquire health insurance at lower prices, the same way large corporations and labor unions do.
-Give states the tools to create their own innovative reforms that lower health care costs.
-End junk lawsuits that contribute to higher health care costs by increasing the number of tests and procedures that physicians sometimes order not because they think it’s good medicine, but because they are afraid of being sued.

Feel free to be against these premises if you wish, but give cogent arguments as to why your way is better. I reject the simple denial that these proposals have been made in the first place.

The contolling party -.- which could have passed any law that they wished in the past year without a single Republican vote — wishes to promote their leviathan 2000 page monstrosity on an unwilling populace without their consent. Even the President himself, while waffling on what he wanted to see in the bill since even before he was elected, has said that he will sign anything that Congress gives to him as long as it has “Health Care Reform” in the title somewhere. Whether any lawmaker even reads or understands the bill is in question as well.

Critics may be against the numerous Republican proposals. They can call them “stupid”. Or better yet, they can debate their merit and give rational analysis and discussion. Ultimately, they can discard the proposals that they are against. But one thing that an honest politician cannot do — is deny that the Republicans have any suggestions of their own. One can keep insisting that “bipartisan” means simply “voting Democrat” or one can engage in serious discussion and debate.