I've said before, Obamacare was brilliant politics. Terrible policy but brilliant politics.
If Republicans make this work, that will involve infusions of cash, which will in effect be yet another program to hoover up money from Republicans constituencies and give it to Democrat constituencies. Tax your enemies to pay your supporters.
If Republicans don't inject mountains of cash and the program fails, Republicans get the blame and Democrats will propose a single payer system, which is what they wanted all along. Once that happens, every election cycle will turn on who's willing to spend more to "make the NHS work," which will be framing the debates in very socialistic terms which will overwhelmingly favor Democrats for decades ot come.
The Democrats looked at Republicans and said, "Heads we win, tails you lose."