As promised, the Republicans approved legislation aimed at repealing Obama’s health care reforms. While important symbolically, the legislation has little chance of passing Senate or presidential veto. However, 26 states have joined Florida in challenging the constitutionality of the health care reform, an issue requiring a Supreme Court decision.

The Obama administration has shown no interest in expediting that decision so final resolution is 2-3 years away. In the meantime Republicans can use their increased power in Congress to promote legislation giving Americans more choices in their health care insurance.

Americans should be able to buy insurance from any company they wish without regard for state boundaries. Insurance companies should have the right to offer a wide variety of options in terms coverage for dependents, deductibles, co-pays, and annual out-of-pocket limits. They should not be allowed to drop coverage or to set lifetime caps for those they insure.

Insurance companies should also be able to offer policies requiring mediation rather than litigation to resolve medical disputes. Democrats will never pass any meaningful malpractice tort reform. Let insurance companies establish how much this intransigence raises premiums.

The resulting options would allow individuals to buy the coverage they want directly from insurance companies or through their employer. Small companies should be able to group together to buy insurance. Employers could provide workers with baseline coverage allowing them to opt for more or less expensive coverage through adjusting take-home pay or contributions to some sort of health savings account.

These limited proposals are not the answer to all our health care problems. However, they do reflect Republican ideals of giving the vast majority of Americans more options in their choice of insurance, a significant part of any health care reform.

Bill Hirt, Bellevue