Senator Tom Coburn Co-Sponsors Obamacare Replacement Bill

Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn is one of three Senate Republicans proposing to repeal the nation's controversial health care law in favor of an alternative Patient CARE Act. 

Senator Coburn, Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah and Senator Richard Burr of North Carolina said Monday in a written statement that their goal is to reduce health care costs and increase access to affordable, high quality care.

Coburn says this alternative eliminates most of the federal Healthcare Act's government-imposed coverage mandates and offers tax breaks to help those with lower incomes obtain coverage.

"For millions of Americans, Obamacare itself has become a preexisting condition that has caused them to lose their insurance, their doctors and their choices. Congress has a responsibility to not only repeal this misguided law but replace it with a plan that will provide better care at a lower cost, and will help preserve programs like Medicaid instead of driving them closer to bankruptcy," said Senator Dr. Tom Coburn

"It is unfortunate the Senate Majority Leader blocked a vote on an alternative in 2009. But it's critical we chart another path forward. Our health care system wasn't working well before Obamacare and it is worse after Obamacare. Americans deserve a real alternative, and a way out. I'm pleased to take this important step with my colleagues."

According to a news release from three senators, the Patient CARE Act provides a legislative roadmap to fully repeal the President's health care law, known as Obamacare, and replace the law with common-sense measures that would:

• Establish sustainable, patient-centered reforms:

             Adopt common-sense consumer protections
             Create a new protection to help Americans with pre-existing conditions
             Empower small business and individuals with purchasing power
             Empower states with more tools to help provide coverage while reducing costs
             Expand and strengthen consumer directed health care 

• Modernize Medicaid to provide better coverage and care to patients:

             Transition to capped allotment to provide states with predictable funding and flexibility
             Reauthorize Health Opportunity Accounts to empower Medicaid patients

• Reduce unnecessary defensive medicine practices and rein in frivolous lawsuits:

             Medical Malpractice reforms

• Increase health care price transparency to empower consumers and patients:

             Requiring basic health care transparency to inform and empower patients

• Reduce distortions in the tax code that drive up health care costs:

             Capping the exclusion of an employee's employer-provided health coverage

A detailed summary of the proposal can be found here.

A side-by-side comparison to Obamacare can be found here.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.