Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Oklahoma, says the Healthy Americans Act’s mandate for insurance “is not freedom.”

Coburn has his own plan, which he is sponsoring with North Carolina GOP Sen. Richard Burr, which would change the tax code to give every person the refundable tax credit for health care. They could purchase insurance through their employer or go out and get it on their own. States could create a blanket plan to cover those who don’t sign up on their own. Those who fell into this default plan wouldn’t be penalized, but they would have a high deductible, making them responsible for a sizable chunk of the final bill.

Both of these proposals would provide financial incentives for people to get preventive health care.

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