House Republicans unveiled their alternative health care proposal this week that will bring down the cost of health insurance and health care in the long term as well as reduce the deficit.

Congressman Pence amplified a New York Times article detailing the GOP alternative:

November 4, 2009

G.O.P. Counters With a Health Plan of Its Own

By ROBERT PEAR and DAVID M. HERSZENHORN

WASHINGTON - House Republicans have come up with an answer to Speaker Nancy Pelosi, drafting an alternative health care bill that would reward states for reducing the number of uninsured, limit damages in medical malpractice lawsuits and allow small businesses to band together and buy insurance exempt from most state regulation.

In its opening section, the Republican bill, which has no chance of passing, promises to lower health care costs and expand insurance coverage "without raising taxes, cutting Medicare benefits for seniors, adding to the national deficit, intervening in the doctor-patient relationship or instituting a government takeover of health care."

The bill defines the differences between Republicans and Democrats, who intend to take up their bill on the House floor this week, after resolving intramural disputes over abortion and immigration.

The Republican bill differs from the Democratic measure in that it would not require people to obtain insurance or require employers to offer it. It is almost surely cheaper than the House Democrats' bill because, unlike that proposal, it would not expand Medicaid or offer federal subsidies to low- and middle-income people to help them buy insurance. Nor would the Republican bill impose new taxes.

The House Republican bill would not explicitly prohibit insurers from denying coverage to people because of pre-existing medical conditions, even though many Republicans have said they agree with Democrats that the federal government should outlaw such denials.

House Republicans completed work on their measure as Senate Democratic leaders acknowledged that Senate floor debate on their bill was likely to slip to December, making it virtually impossible for Congress to achieve President Obama's goal of enacting major health legislation this year.

Read the rest of the article HERE.

The House GOP health care bill is available in its entirety HERE, and a one-page summary is also available HERE.

For additional information and continual updates, check the House Republican Conference's health care page HERE.