Brian Darling writes for Townhall.com about a way to address Obamacare’s ills.
For years, Republicans have pledged to repeal Obamacare and replace it with a suitable alternative. Now there is an idea on the table that can complete that promise. The idea will use market forces to bring down the cost of healthcare for all. …
… Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), my former boss, has an excellent idea that has been well-received by President Donald J. Trump that provides an excellent solution to the problems caused by Obamacare. Senator Paul argues that President Trump’s first term Executive Order creating Association Health Plans, allowing individuals to purchase insurance via large companies, like Costco, Amazon, and Sam’s Club, was a great idea. It was stopped by Democratic Attorneys General who used the courts to block it. Congress could pass this plan and avoid legal challenges.
The senator’s plan is titled the “Health Marketplace and Savings Accounts For All Act.” He describes his plan in an op-ed published in Newsweek on December 2, 2025, as a way to legalize “the ability for any group to purchase insurance collectively and operate across state lines.” Large companies would be legally allowed to band together to use the power of the millions of members of the plan to negotiate lower prices. He argues that “once these co-ops are legalized, the individual market likely melts away, and everyone in America would gain the benefits that normally accrue to the group market.” This is one element of his plan that would drive costs down.
A second plank of Sen. Paul’s plan would “allow everyone in America to have a Health Savings Account (HSA).” He points out that only 10 percent of insurance plans today are eligible for these tax-free accounts that cover many things that are not covered by traditional health insurance. The plan allows HSAs to be used to pay health insurance premiums. This makes sense because the biggest expenditure for healthcare consumers is premiums. The great benefit is that there will be no taxpayer money used in these plans.
