WASHINGTON, Dec. 14 (UPI) -- A Republican senator called Saturday for "common sense bipartisan solutions" to the problems exposed in the Affordable Care Act.
Delivering the Republican Party's weekly address, Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania put forth a series of proposals he said would eliminate the "excruciating choices" forced on U.S. citizens by the law.
Citing reports that up to a third of those who have completed the application for healthcare might not be covered, Toomey said, "There are common-sense, bipartisan solutions to our healthcare problems that don't require Obamacare's wholesale government take-over of the system."
He said individuals should get the same tax benefits enjoyed by businesses that buy insurance for their workers, and that health insurance should be allowed to be transferred from one job to another, or purchased across state lines.
The government can help people with pre-existing conditions buy insurance, he added, or businesses pool health coverage.
"The problem with Obamacare isn't just a glitch. It's fundamental and it's taking away our freedom," he said. "But working together, we can put an end to the dropped coverage and higher costs that the Obamacare law is forcing on so many."
Despite Toomey's suggested changes, the GOP has not garnered any support among Republican lawmakers for alternative legislation, the Hill reported.
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