How would I repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act?

In the recent shutdown/default standoff of 2013, the House was right to wield its power of the purse: it is a real and legitimate power. But it was ineffective, and they will likely pay for it next fall. Criticizing the "glitches" of healthcare.gov is pointless as well: there is enough brainpower and money in our country to build or fix any computer system. And everyone, left and right, agreed that America's health care system was a mess before Obamacare. So, while we all wait to learn the real impact of the ACA on the private marketplace, what could have been the alternatives? What would I have done?

First, eliminate the employer tax deduction for health care. Offset the tax increase by lowering rates. Make it a thing of indifference whether my employer or I purchase healthcare. Over time, this would create a more dynamic marketplace for healthcare. In decades past, individuals needed the efficiencies of their employers to shop for and maintain competitive policies; that's no longer true in the Internet age. Let the market create those marketplaces by removing tax code disincentives.

Second, expand Medicaid by allowing low income people who do not qualify for the current program to buy basic coverage or services. The government must be a health care provider, but only for the poor. We are a wealthy nation and it's reasonable to offer that social safety net for our poorest and neediest. But it should be limited to just that. The majority should not be dependent on the government for their health care. Also, I have no doubt that the current Medicaid system is a mess, but in principle it is right, so we keep trying.

Third, require truth-in-billing for health services. The government requires that tomato soup makers list the exact amount of sodium in each can. Why is it that doctors bill insurance companies for $3000, the insurance company pays $1500, then the doctor turns around and only charges me $500? It's a game. And that destroys free trade. Requiring true prices and true profits and losses will make the system more efficient.

That said, ACA goes in the opposite direction on all counts. Instead of moving more decisions from employers to individuals, we've asked the government to make more decisions for us. Instead of a best-effort social safety net for the few, the government created a paternalistic mandate for everyone and is encouraging millions to buy insurance through its hastily made exchanges. And instead of making costs more transparent, we've added more complexity and obscurity to the calculation.