WASHINGTON (FNN NEWS) — Today at the American Enterprise Institute, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) and chairs of the House Republican Task Force on Health Care unveiled the fifth plank of a #BetterWay—an initiative to replace Obamacare that would ensure American has access to quality, affordable health care. Below are Speaker Ryan’s opening remarks as prepared for delivery:

“Thank you, Arthur—and thanks to AEI for hosting us.

“I’m going to cut right to the chase: For six years now, we’ve promised to repeal and replace Obamacare and make health care actually affordable. Well, here it is: a real plan—in black and white—right here. We are officially putting it on the table. The way I see it, if we don’t like the direction the country is going in—and we do not—then we have an obligation to offer an alternative. It is our duty to offer a better way. And that’s what this is.

“I’m going to let our chairmen talk more about the details. They have done tremendous work. I couldn’t be prouder of what they’ve accomplished. But I thought I’d kick things off by summing up the big difference between Obamacare and our plan—because in all honesty it is more than a difference in policy. It is a difference in philosophy.

“If I had to pick the one word that, to me, summed up Obamacare, it would be quantity. The goal was to get as many people insured as possible. Or at least that’s what they say now. They promised a lot more at the time. But the one thing they’ve decided to hang their hat on is this: More people have insurance now than before the law was passed. That’s definitely true.

“But here’s the problem: They expanded coverage by lowering the quality. They made some people pay more so other people could pay less. And what’s been the result? For millions of people, higher premiums. Long wait times. Canceled plans. Families losing their doctors. It was a classic . . . top-down . . . command-and-control . . . Washington-imposed solution. They treated patients—real, flesh-and-blood human beings—like auto parts on an assembly line—interchangeable and insignificant.

“You see it in the way they wrote the law. Employers don’t offer insurance? Make them. Employees won’t buy insurance? Force them. They can’t afford a plan? Put them on Medicaid. The government doesn’t have enough money? Take it from Medicare. If Washington just rearranged the players—if everyone would just fit into their pre-arranged slots—everything would work out just fine.

“Well, it did not work out. Obamacare is fundamentally flawed. That’s why we have to repeal the law—and take a new approach. Which leads me to our plan . . .

“If I had to pick the one word that, to me, summed up our plan, it would be quality. We’re going to give you the tools you need to get the best care possible. And that starts with giving you a choice. Instead of forcing you to buy a plan that Washington bureaucrats have mass-produced, we’re going to repeal those mandates and let you pick a plan that works for you. We’re saying, don’t force people to buy insurance. Make insurance companies compete for our business.

“And yes, we’re going to help you buy insurance. Most people get insurance through their job—and that’s great. For many years we have not taxed their insurance, no matter how expensive it is. But the problem with this open-ended tax break is it encourages businesses to keep buying bigger and bigger benefits. Why not? You’re not getting taxed for it. And as a result, they’re pushing up premiums and health care costs for everyone else.

“So we’re going to keep the tax exclusion for employer-sponsored insurance, but we’re going to cap it at a reasonable level. That will help keep down costs. And then we’re going to use the money we save to offer an individual tax credit for everyone who doesn’t get insurance through their job—with more money for the old and sick. That way, more insurance plans will move with the person—not with the job. That is real heath care security.

“And I should point out: There are real protections in here for the vulnerable and people who need care the most. Our plan protects people with pre-existing conditions. We let young people stay on their parents’ plan till they turn 26. We don’t let insurance companies cancel your plan or charge you more just when you get sick. All these things will give people across America more peace of mind.

“At the same time, we make a lot of commonsense reforms. We say let people buy insurance across state lines. Let small businesses band together to negotiate better insurance deals. Let people use their health-savings accounts for more kinds of purchases. Let’s do major medical liability reform. And I can’t leave out: We give states more flexibility with Medicaid to design a program that works for their people. And we strengthen Medicare for future generations by letting seniors pick their preferred plan, starting in 2024.

“So here’s how I’d sum up the difference. Obamacare focused on quantity—it put the bureaucracy first. Our plan will focus on quality—we will put the patient first. We think that’s the way to go. Before I go, I want to encourage all of you to go to our website—better.gop—and learn more about our plan. And I want to thank you all for coming here today. Thank you very much, everybody.”