Should they regain power, Douthat argues that the GOP could safely pass their own healthcare reform plan:
The fact that the Democrats did pull out all the stops in 2009-2010, courting a giant backlash in the process, means there’s a unusually large amount of political cover for a right-of-center alternative. (Repeal-and-replace is an easier lift than a stand-alone overhaul would be, because the Republican constituencies who might stand to lose from a more market-friendly reform fear Obamacare much, much more.)
At the same time, through their support for the Ryan budget, the Congressional G.O.P. has pre-committed to entitlement reform votes that make a vote for a right-of-center health care alternative look relatively noncontroversial by comparison. Whether Obamacare is repealed or left intact, it’s hard to imagine a better atmosphere for figuring out, and then forging ahead with, what Republicans actually want to do instead.
He admits that "to date the G.O.P. has done precious little with this opportunity, preferring to play the political angles instead."
The Dish 