The Ryan plan also would scrap subsidies geared to income. Instead, Americans would be eligible for tax credits to help finance their insurance purchases on the open market. Everyone who couldn't gain coverage via an employer plan would be eligible for the credit. Again, the key here is flexibility. The goal should be to allow people to buy, at minimum, a plan to cover catastrophic health problems. The GOP plan is likely to be less generous than the current law but its price tag also will be smaller for the government and for consumers.