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>>Meanwhile libertarians and conservatives are failing to articulate a credible alternative, market-based vision of health care.

I agree, republicans need to offer something to improve the current problems with the curent system. Too many people uninsured and costs spiraling out of control for those that do have coverage...just sticking their head in the sand and saying that nothing can be done to fix or improve it is not a good strategy imo.

If the problem gets ignored for too long, critical mass will be achived and a complete takeover of the system could be the result of some future democratic administration.

From March, 1994...a good starting point:

Libertarian health care alternative: The 5-point plan

The Libertarian Party has developed a comprehensive proposal for health care reform that will reduce health care costs, while extending access to care. Our five-point plan:
1. Establish Medical Savings Accounts.

One key to controlling health care costs is strengthening the role of the individual health care consumer. As part of this process, an individual should be exempted from taxes on money deposited in a Medical Savings Account (MSA), in the same way that he currently pays no taxes on deposits to an IRA. Money could be withdrawn from an MSA without penalty to pay medical expenses. This would increase consumer responsibility, while increasing access and controlling costs.

2. Restructure Tax Policy.

As a second consumer-based reform, taxes should be restructured to establish equity in the treatment of employer-provided health insurance, individually purchased health insurance, and out-of-pocket medical expenses. All health care expenditures should be 100% tax deductible. This will add a measure of fairness to current tax policies that penalize the self-employed, part-time workers, and employees of small businesses, while subsidizing health care for the most affluent in our society.

3. Deregulate the health care industry.

There should be a thorough examination of the extent to which government policies are responsible for rising health costs and the un-availability of health care services. America can help lower health care costs and expand health care access by taking immediate steps to deregulate the health care industry, including elimination of mandated benefits, repeal of the Certificate-of-Need program, and expansion of the scope of practice for non-physician health professionals.

4. Replace the FDA.

The Food and Drug Administration is clearly an unnecessary burden on the American health care system. There is no evidence that agency offers Americans any real protection, but there is massive evidence that it is causing great harm -- driving up health care costs and depriving millions of Americans of the medical care they need. The agency should be abolished and replaced with voluntary certification by a private-sector organization, similar to the way Underwriters Laboratory certifies electrical appliances.

5. Privatize Medicare and Medicaid.

The current Medicare and Medicaid systems have clearly failed. Costs are skyrocketing. Patients are receiving second-rate care. And, providers are being shortchanged. The time is ripe for drastic reform. The federal government should begin to re-structure the system to give Medicaid and Medicare recipients more flexibility to purchase private health insurance.