Here's House Speaker John Boehner on Sunday's Face the Nation, dodging guest host Nora O'Donnell's efforts to pin him down on the "replace" part of what happens if they repeal the Affordable Care Act. Here's what he would answer: Insurance companies would still be able to deny coverage to people with pre-existing conditions.



NORAH O'DONNELL: What about pre-existing conditions? What about the millions of Americans that have pre-existing conditions and are discriminated against? REPRESENTATIVE JOHN BOEHNER: We believe that the way it is done within Obamacare is—is pushing the cost of health insurance for all Americans much too high. We believe that the state high-risk pools are a much more effective way to making sure that those with preexisting conditions have access to affordable health insurance. NORAH O'DONNELL: But access to affordable health insurance, but you're not saying you would be for a law that would prevent discrimination of those individuals? REPRESENTATIVE JOHN BOEHNER: No, we just believe there is a better way to make sure that they have affordable access to quality health insurance.

Boehner's better way is one that numerous states have implemented starting back in the 1970s. About three dozen states have set up high risk pools, some of which have been operating for decades. The fact that these experiments have failed, by and large, to actually provide affordable coverage to most of the people locked out of health insurance doesn't seem to make any difference to Boehner. Nor does the fact that trying to cover these people with these flawed programs costs far more overall than it will to fold them into regular insurance pools with healthier, less expensive patients.

Remember, for Republicans covering the uninsured "is not the issue," whether that's people who can't afford insurance, or people who have been denied it. No, for Republicans the issue is taking this win away from President Obama. That, and putting insurance companies back in the driver's seat when it comes to your health care.