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And lest we forget, SCHIP, like Hillary 2.0, was a Republican invention -- built on the same misguided principles of government-managed choice, bureaucratically directed competition, public-private partnerships, and mandated universal coverage.

Republicans have forgotten that not even a truly free market -- and certainly not a market mired in bureaucracy -- can do the impossible of providing everyone with unlimited care at unbeatable prices. Hence, there is no clear conservative voice of reason to prevent Hillary from convincing Americans that the free market -- not unrealistic expectations -- is the problem -- and that government is the solution.

Now's the time for that voice of reason to step up and articulate that the only government solution worth exploring is one that removes government from the system. Piecemeal government interventions into the market -- like tax biases in favor of employer-provided health insurance, or regulations mandating excessive levels of insurance coverage, and even absurd licensing requirements for health-care providers -- must be dismantled in order to restore some degree of discipline and efficiency to the market.

Once market discipline has been re-introduced into health care, targeted government action may be appropriate -- and perhaps even effective -- for those unable to buy into the market on their own. But the thousands of pages of government regulations at the federal level alone show that the health-care market is far from the free-market failure so many claim it to be.

If Hillary's plan succeeds, Republicans will have no one but themselves to blame. They were the ones who built this yellow brick road to government-controlled, universally mandated health care.

topics:
Health Care, Medicaid, Law