Thursday evening's Republican debate, dubbed both a "free-for-all" and a "food fight" for its unprecedented mudslinging, was actually packed with the most discourse on healthcare we've seen thus far in the Republican debates.
Based on depth of ideas, fact-checking, critics' reviews and ability to defend claims, here is how the candidates ranked.
1. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) came out on top in the debate. He was the winner among critics in general, according to The New York Times, particularly for his ability to challenge frontrunner Donald Trump.
To healthcare, Sen. Rubio said employers should be able to continue to sponsor health coverage for employees, and buy it from any company they want. He also said employers should provide tax-free money for healthcare that can be used to fund a health savings account or a private plan from any company. Lastly, he said refundable tax credits should be provided to those who don't have employer-based coverage so they can buy their own.
Sen. Rubio's ideas on healthcare were partially spoiled by a few falsehoods. His assertion that the ACA is a "job-killing law" has been proven false by a study published in January, though he was not the only candidate to make this claim. He also called the ACA's "risk corridors" program a "bailout fund" that uses taxpayer money, and that Republicans "wiped out" the fund. Fact-checking has found this mostly false. The program is paid for through fees from insurers and it has not been wiped out. It did however fall short by more than $2.5 billion in its first year.
2. Ben Carson, MD, retired neurosurgeon did not interact much with the other candidates on healthcare, but he did summarize his healthcare plan, which is among the most detailed of all the Republican candidates. He again underscored his support for health empowerment accounts, which are lifelong health savings accounts, and the flexibility to move these funds among family members. These accounts would be combined with high-deductible plans, or "catastrophic" coverage.
"Most importantly," he said, "we give [people] a menu, just like we do in Medicare Part C, and they have the choices that will allow them not only to have catastrophic healthcare, but drug care and everything else."
3. Ohio Gov. John Kasich also camped out on the sidelines, though he presented some interesting and contradictory ideas. He said he now wants to do away with the individual mandate requiring Americans to buy health insurance, as well as the ACA, but not necessarily do away with requirements for payers to cover people with pre-existing conditions. Despite that he "would repeal Obamacare for a variety of reasons," Gov. Kasich did describe support for alternative, value-based payment programs like those created under the ACA.
Touting the progress in his own state's bundled payment programs, Gov. Kasich said, "We will begin payments next year based on episodes that we have in our lives. If our primary care physicians keep us healthy for a year, with really high-quality [care], guess what? They will get a financial reward."
4. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) had little factual information or views to offer on healthcare, but he did succeed in playing offense against Mr. Trump. Like his opponent, Sen. Rubio, he used the job-killing argument as a reason to repeal the ACA, which has been proven false. He also accused Mr. Trump of advocating for socialized medicine.
"What [Mr. Trump has] said is government should pay for everyone's healthcare, and in fact, a couple of debates ago, he said, 'If you don't support socialized healthcare, you're heartless,'" Sen. Cruz said.
This claim doesn't stand up, according to CNN. Mr. Trump is on record in support of universal healthcare, which is health coverage for everyone, but not socialized medicine, which means healthcare is paid for by taxes.
5. Mr. Trump spent a lot of time playing defense, fielding attacks from both Sen. Rubio and Sen. Cruz, and he was thin on policy ideas.
"We don't win in any capacity with healthcare. We have terrible healthcare," he said. "Obamacare is going to be repealed and replaced. We just don't win." He said he wants to keep pre-existing conditions and hammered home his support for interstate health plans.
"You get rid of the lines, it brings competition. So, instead of having one insurance company taking care of New York, or Texas, you'll have many. They'll compete and it'll be a beautiful thing," Mr. Trump said. Aside from that, his other main guarantee was that he "will not let people die on the streets if I'm president."
More articles on leadership and management:
Warren Buffett: 7 things to avoid in management
And the award goes to…Oscar forecasts from 8 CEOs
Senate GOP to block HHS nominee due to 'inadequate' answers about Planned Parenthood