Jan. 15 (UPI) — President Donald Trump announced via video Thursday his new plan to lower healthcare costs, focusing on the deals he previously made with pharmaceutical companies.
The plan, which he dubbed, “The Great Healthcare Plan,” would “execute the president’s vision to send money directly to the American people, lower health insurance premiums, and cut kickbacks that raise insurance premiums.”
Part of the plan would have the federal government sending money directly to the American people to buy health plans. It would have to be approved by Congress.
“The government is going to pay the money directly to you. It goes to you, and then you take the money and buy your own health care,” the president said in the video released by the White House. “Nobody has ever heard of that before, and that’s the way it is.”
“I’m calling on Congress to pass this framework into law without delay,” Trump said. “Have to do it right now.”
The plan would require Congress to codify the deals Trump has already made with drug companies to lower the cost of certain drugs in exchange for lower tariffs.
In his video Trump said lower drug prices will be on his platform when it launches this month. He said the prices will be down by 500%, which is mathematically impossible.
A White House fact sheet said the plan would “Fund a cost-sharing reduction program for healthcare plans which would save taxpayers at least $36 billion and reduce the most common Obamacare plan premiums by over 10%.” It wasn’t clear if the 10% is deducted from what the plans cost with or without subsidies.
The proposal comes in the middle of a battle in the Senate over Affordable Care Act subsidies. A bipartisan group has recently been arguing over language about the Hyde Amendment, which bans the use of federal funds for abortion services.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.