While the Democrats battle within their own party to come up with a healthcare bill that they think can pass, the Republicans have decided to come up with a bill of their own. Does it have any legs to stand on? Not a chance. But here are some of the details according to CNN Money ......

• "Pools" of insurance. It would let states, small businesses and others group together to offer lower-cost, health care plans. Such pools would have to offer, at a minimum, any coverage that is provided in a majority of states.
• Medicaid transfer. It would allow Medicaid users to take the value of their Medicaid benefits and transfer/apply those to a private health care plan instead.
• Boosting of health care savings accounts. It would increase incentives for people, especially those in lower income brackets or over 55, to build up HSAs. OK .. this idea has merit.
• Automatic insurance. It would encourage employers to sign up their workers for health insurance automatically, so that employees would have to "opt out" of coverage if they didn't want it. This is reform? How about moving more health insurance policies to private ownership, instead of corporate.
• Longer coverage for youths. It would allow dependent children to stay on their parents' policies until they are 25.
• Promotion of wellness at the workplace. It would encourage employers to reward employees for improved health.
• Expansion of community health centers.
• Mobile health care. It would allow Americans to maintain their specific health insurance policies when they lose or leave jobs.
• In-home care. It would provide financial help and encourage more in-home care over institutions.
• Limitations on malpractice lawsuits. There is general agreement over limiting such lawsuits, but a deep divide exists over exactly how much.

This is weak. Very weak. There is only a minimal promotion of the private sector here. Let me give you just a few ideas of things they missed:

1. Allow individuals to deduct the cost of their health insurance from their taxable income, just like their employers can right now.
2. End all state insurance mandates. If some insurance company wants to market an insurance policy that doesn't cover for the normal costs of childbirth, drug abuse treatments, mental health treatments, obesity treatments, alcohol-related treatments and the like ... then let them.
3. Allow people to shop across state lines for their medical insurance.
4. Expand the privileges of nurse practitioners. I don't need someone with seven years of medical school and residency to prescribe an antibiotic for a sore throat.
5. Charge a minimum of $5.00 per visit to any public health facility ... regardless of income. This will weed out the people for whom a visit to the doctor is more of a weekly social event.
6. Require only life-saving medical care to those who are in this country illegally.
7. Allow employers to shut out smokers from any company-provided health insurance benefits.

That too me all of 90 seconds .. .and there's not one idea there that expands the size or scope of government.