Repealing, not replacing, health law tops Republican plan (Bloomberg)

U.S. House Republicans have dropped the word “replace” from their pledge to “repeal and replace” President Obama’s health care reform law. “They don’t care to replace it,” said Ross Baker, a professor of American politics at Rutgers University. “They want to revert to the status quo. Whatever plan they have is going to end up alienating somebody, especially during a presidential campaign. Achieving universal coverage is “going to be very difficult,” said Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla. Even so, “you do it more through incentives than you do through penalties and his bill is full of penalties and not incentives.” Republicans will need to win the presidency and control the Senate majority next session or their attempts to repeal will go no further than the House.