James C. Capretta

Repeal and replacement of Obamacare requires a Republican president. But if the GOP does well in the midterm election they can still make targeted changes to the law that set the stage for 2017.

From 2009 to 2013, during the Obama presidency, the federal government borrowed $5.8 trillion, matching what had been borrowed by every other president from 1789 to 2008.

A better federal budget process could lower some of the political and legislative obstacles to entitlement reform, even if it cannot remove them altogether.

A new cost estimate shows once again that it is possible to provide access to insurance for all Americans at far less expense than the Affordable Care Act.

Opponents of Obamacare have an opportunity to offer a better alternative, but successfully implementing new reforms will require a careful transition in order to minimize further disruption to Americans’ health care coverage.

The defense cuts, Medicare reductions, and tax hikes of the Obama years are unlikely to produce lasting deficit reduction. The Obama budget legacy will thus be one of looming fiscal disaster.

A majority of voters oppose the Affordable Care Act because of what it is doing to the quality of American health care. Political ads — such as a new one from Senator Mark Pryor – will not change this reality.

The employers fighting the HHS mandate should not accept the Obama administration’s latest offer of an “accommodation” because it does not offer a genuine solution.

Obamacare did not solve Medicare’s problems. It made them worse with deceptive accounting and cuts that will harm access to care for senior citizens.

Changing direction on economic policy, including health care, is going to require a Republican president. Republicans in Congress should keep that in mind when planning their 2015 agenda.

The Halbig case has the potential to disrupt implementation of the Affordable Care Act. The GOP must be ready with an alternative plan.

The across-the-board payment cuts in Medicare included in the Affordable Care Act could impair access to care for seniors. They will not bring about the transformation of Medicare that is needed.