Burr takes lead on health plan

U.S. Sen. Richard Burr is taking a lead role on a GOP health plan.

Unveiled yesterday, the proposal aims to cover more workers, as does a plan being discussed by Congressional Democrats and President Obama.

The Republican plan would tax health-care benefits that workers receive in order to pay for tax credits for families that buy their own insurance on the free market.

The effect could be to reduce the employer-based insurance system commonly used now, but Burr said it would give families more choice in their coverage.

Obama's plan, meantime, would cover 50 million uninsured Americans through both government and private health plans.

Burr's proposal draws from one that Republican John McCain used in his failed presidential bid, which in turn borrowed from ideas introduced by Burr in 2007. (N&O)