Republicans are busy trying to repeal Obamacare, and that’s perfectly laudable, albeit, for now, purely symbolic. But the GOP should not lose sight of the real point of health care, which is cures. Curbing health-care costs is important, but being cured of disease is more important. The Democrats, in their zeal to bureaucratize the health-care system, have lost sight of the ultimate goal of health care — good health. The Republicans, in their counter-zeal to de-bureaucratize the health-care system, should not lose sight of that ultimate goal. In the past, we faced epidemics of tuberculosis, malaria, smallpox, and AIDS, and we have mostly or even totally defeated those killers, at least here in the U.S. We beat those scourges, not with rhetoric or health insurance, but with science. Today we face new epidemics, such as cancer and Alzheimer’s, and we face the resurgence of ancient killers, notably TB. Once again, the cure-agent will be science. Or maybe not. Maybe we won’t develop the cures for contemporary killers because we allow ourselves to be trapped on the seesaw debate over health-care finance. Yet if we could focus on cures, and clear away the obstacles to medical progress — such as trial lawyers — we would enjoy better health and greater economic growth, from a healthy workforce. In addition, we would see the development of new industries, selling new medical goods not only to Americans, but to the world. That’s a winner, all the way ’round. I explained all of this in greater detail in the last issue of National Review, and the piece is on the homepage today.