GOP urges less expensive health plan

WASHINGTON (AP) - Republicans are calling the Democratic proposal to overhaul health care far too complicated, intrusive and expensive.

In the GOP weekly radio and Internet address, House Minority Leader John Boehner calls the bill "1,990 pages of bureaucracy" that would "centralize health care decision-making in Washington, D.C."

He says the bill would raise health care premiums, kill jobs and cut Medicare benefits.

Boehner proposed a number of alternatives, such as allowing people and organizations to pool together to buy insurance for lower prices and reining in malpractice lawsuits.

The Democrats' health care proposals are gaining momentum in Congress and Republicans are scrambling for support to block them. Floor debate could begin next week in the House on the legislation that would extend coverage to 96 percent of Americans and provide subsidies for lower-income individuals.

The bill also includes a new public health insurance plan.