Trump says he can produce a better healthcare plan than Obamacare

[webfact]

Trump says he can produce a better healthcare plan than Obamacare

By Susan Cornwell

 

FILE PHOTO: A sign on an insurance store advertises Obamacare in San Ysidro, San Diego, California, U.S., October 26, 2017. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump pledged on Wednesday to deliver a better healthcare system than Obamacare if the Supreme Court tosses out his predecessor's signature domestic achievement, a potentially hazardous claim as he seeks re-election.

 

Trump defended his administration's decision to step up its assault on the healthcare law passed under former President Barack Obama, which expanded healthcare coverage to about 20 million Americans.

 

"Obamacare is a disaster. It's too expensive by far," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. "We're coming up with plans. ... And if the Supreme Court rules that Obamacare is out, we will have a plan that's far better than Obamacare."

 

The Justice Department on Monday asked the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn Obamacare, as the 2010 Affordable Care Act that overhauled the U.S. healthcare system is popularly known. Justice said it backed a federal judge's ruling in December that the Affordable Care Act violated the U.S. Constitution because it required people to buy health insurance.

 

Trump had repeatedly called for the replacement of Obamacare during his 2016 presidential campaign. In a tweet in October 2016, he said, "We will have MUCH less expensive and MUCH better healthcare."

 

After he entered the White House in January 2017, Trump urged his fellow Republicans to repeal Obamacare, something that they tried and failed repeatedly to do. Republicans have never been able to agree on a replacement plan.

 

Trump predicted on Tuesday that would change, saying Republicans "will soon be known as the party of healthcare."

 

Top Democrats pounced on the administration's move, saying their success in winning control of the House of Representatives in the mid-term elections in November showed Americans want them to protect Obamacare against repeated Republican attacks.

 

Believing the healthcare issue can help them defeat Trump's re-election bid next year, House Democrats unveiled a new proposal on Tuesday that would expand the Affordable Care Act.

 

NO RUSH BY REPUBLICANS

"If the Republican Party wants to be, in Donald Trump's words, the party of healthcare, God help the middle class," Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said on Wednesday on the Senate floor. The elimination of Obamacare would send health insurance premiums soaring and revoke coverage for tens of millions of people, he said.

 

Health insurance has been a rallying cry for Democrats who have launched presidential bids for 2020, though there are differences in what they propose. The "Medicare-for-all" approach first championed by Senator Bernie Sanders is now also embraced by several other contenders for the Democratic nomination.

 

Republicans in Congress seemed to be in no rush to re-engage on the healthcare issue.

 

Senator John Thune, the No. 2 two Republican in the Senate, told reporters on Wednesday that if there is a path forward on healthcare legislation, he assumed the Trump administration would be involved in the process.

 

"We’ll see what he puts forward and his team,” Thune said.

 

Republican Senator Charles Grassley said, "We would have to act accordingly" if the Supreme Court dismantles Obamacare, but he noted there might not be any definitive court action until next year. And he doubted there would be a push for major healthcare legislation in a presidential election year.

 

Trump won a political victory over the weekend when Special Counsel Robert Mueller said his 22-month probe of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election had found no evidence that Trump's campaign team colluded with Moscow.

 

But Democrats say a new Republican push to end Obamacare could quickly overshadow that victory.

 

Obamacare survived a 2012 legal challenge at the Supreme Court when a majority of justices ruled the "individual mandate," which requires individuals to buy insurance or pay a penalty, was a tax that Congress had the authority to impose.

 

In December, U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor in Fort Worth, Texas, ruled the individual mandate could no longer be considered constitutional after Trump signed the $1.5 trillion tax cut package passed by Congress that eliminated the penalties.

 

Obamacare's supporters point out that in addition to expanding healthcare coverage to millions of Americans, it has made it more affordable for many via subsidized coverage, and prevented insurance companies from denying coverage for pre-existing conditions.

 

Critics view the law as a costly government intrusion into the private marketplace, and complain of high deductibles and premiums that price out some middle-income people who do not get subsidized coverage.

 

(Reporting by Susan Cornwell; Additional reporting by Steve Holland, Makini Brice and David Lawder; writing by Susan Cornwell; Editing by Leslie Adler)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-03-28

[Puchaiyank]

3 monkeys and a gorilla could devise a better healthcare system than Obamacare...his signature Presidential failure...

 

Oh yeah, that's right...

[quandow]

I was just watching a talking head asking a GOP representative of what exact policy Trump would REPLACE the ACA with. There IS no plan for replacement. He kept bumbling about how Republicans would "come up with something over the next few months." The GOP tried 70 times to repeal Obamacare but never offered an alternative. They really don't care about health care, they just want to erase any memory of that brown guy who came from Kenya.

Edited March 27, 2019 by quandow

[quandow]

2 minutes ago, Puchaiyank said:

3 monkeys and a gorilla could devise a better healthcare system than Obamacare...his signature Presidential failure...

 

Oh yeah, that's right...

The ACA was nowhere near perfect, but it saved my sister's life. She couldn't get health care from ANYONE because of a pre-existing condition.

Edited March 27, 2019 by quandow

[helpisgood]

There are no Trump policy specifics in the OP's long article.  Also, I could not find any other details elsewhere besides Trump's promise that the new plan will be something "terrific."  Yeah, we've heard that "promise" before.

 

Now that you are working to dismantle the ACA, what's next?  Are you going to get Mexico (or NATO?)  to pay for the new plan as well or has that kind of ruse gotten too old?  Yeah sure, and I'll buy your condos, invest in your casinos and buy the Brooklyn Bridge, too. 

 

Soon, Trump will propose building a wall on the US/Canadian border to keep "caravans" of "socialist" Americans from going to Canada to get some decent health care.  Actually, I understand that Americans near the northern border go to Canada to get more affordable meds. 

 

Things are just getting swampier and swampier in Trumpland. 

 

 

[ShortTimed]

I sure feel bad for Americans.

 

To live in such a constant state of worry over the most basic topic of ones health or that of their loved ones must be very hard.

 

Especially when so many other countries provide an example of how universal HC is possible.

 

It must be so frustrating to see the politicians only interested in protecting corporate interests.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ShortTimed]

There are no Trump policy specifics in the OP's long article.  Also, I could not find any other details elsewhere besides Trump's promise that the new plan will be something "terrific."  Yeah, we've heard that "promise" before.

 

 

I thought you were describing the ACA.

The Liberals offered no specifics except to say it would be “wonderful” and “terrific” instead of what it really turned out to be.

 

You are so right Americans have heard it all before.

[Tug]

Donald plan???who are you kidding the rich are making to much money bleeding the sick 

[YetAnother]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

violated the U.S. Constitution because it required people to buy health insurance.

governments do not exist to Require their citizens to buy anything

[ShortTimed]

governments do not exist to Require their citizens to buy anything

I agree with you to a point.

Taxes are an accepted means of getting citizens to buy “things”.

The issue here is the gov’t forced citizens to buy things from private for-profit corporations.

[Chomper Higgot]

The GOP have had over 8 years to formulate an alternative to the ACA.

 

Let’s be seeing it then?!

[Chomper Higgot]

30 minutes ago, YetAnother said:

governments do not exist to Require their citizens to buy anything

Tell that to the Pentagon.

[nycjoe]

A totally dysfunctional country, that worships the uber rich.

[ShortTimed]

A totally dysfunctional country, that worships the uber rich.

And who constantly vote against their own individual and collective self-interests in favor of their identity politics.

[Tug]

20 minutes ago, nycjoe said:

A totally dysfunctional country, that worships the uber rich.

The majority don’t most are caring compassionate ect it’s just the loud mouth greedy one in charge for the time being 

[longtom]

Very smart move of the Donald, having zero plans to deliver upon his campaign promises.

Seems he didn't learn much from the midterms.

Sent from my crappy device using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[mlmcleod]

The Teflon Don has no interest in health care other than sinking every vestige of Obama's legacy.  ACA is not perfect but perfect is the enemy of good enough.

[ShortTimed]

Very smart move of the Donald, having zero plans to deliver upon his campaign promises.

Seems he didn't learn much from the midterms.

I hope you aren’t one of the very same guys criticizing Trump for his insisting on fighting for his campaign promise to tighten border security.

The Donald:
Damned when he does.
Damned when he doesn’t.

No wonder he could care a less about Liberals.

[longtom]

 

I hope you aren’t one of the very same guys criticizing Trump for his insisting on fighting for his campaign promise to tighten border security.

 

The Donald:

Damned when he does.

Damned when he doesn’t.

 

No wonder he could care a less about Liberals.

You are looking only on the few promises he kind of delivered ('wall from sea to shiny sea, who pays for the wall?').

 

He promised better health care, everybody will be insured, at lower costs, pre-existing conditions included!

 

You think that will be the outcome of this initiative?

 

Sent from my crappy device using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

 

 

 

[bristolboy]

27 minutes ago, ShortTimed said:

 

I hope you aren’t one of the very same guys criticizing Trump for his insisting on fighting for his campaign promise to tighten border security.

The Donald:
Damned when he does.
Damned when he doesn’t.

No wonder he could care a less about Liberals.

 

Or about the tens of millions of Americans he's going to hurt.

[ShortTimed]

You are looking only on the few promises he kind of delivered ('wall from sea to shiny sea, who pays for the wall?').  
He promised better health care, everybody will be insured, at lower costs, pre-existing conditions included!
 
You think that will be the outcome of this initiative?

 

Better HC is not possible in America because it is owned & operated by Corporate Interests.

Build the Wall means improve the border security along the Southern border.

Show me a country where such open borders exist with no need for immigration. I can’t think of any Nation that does not have an Immigration Policy with enforcement in place.

[samran]

Donnie’s already said, Australian health care is better than US health care. Go for it Donnie. We call it Medicare as well. 

 

 

[ShortTimed]

Donnie’s already said, Australian health care is better than US health care. Go for it Donnie. We call it Medicare as well. 
 

No politician will ever remove Big Pharma, Big hospital groups, Big Insurance and Big Physician groups from the US Paradigm.

They are too powerful.
Far more power than the NRA which has popular support.

Too bad for Americans, Donald does everything better than anyone else and would most certainly do HC better as well if only the country would unite behind him.

One people. One Goal.

Nationalized Healthcare by extending Medicare without the age discrimination.

+1 Australia

[Berkshire]

It wouldn't surprise me at all if Trump was just responding to Ann Coulter....

 

[Ann Coulter on Monday said Democrats should point out that President Trump "hasn’t kept any of his promises" in the wake of special counsel Robert Mueller's report that found no evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia in the 2016 election.]

[Coulter, a conservative commentator who has feuded with Trump over his failure so far to build a wall on the Mexican border, urged Democrats to tell voters Trump had failed to meet his promises.]

["Hey liberals! Hot tip for you: You want to go after Trump? Point out he hasn’t kept any of his promises," Coulter wrote on Twitter.]

 

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/435575-coulter-offers-advice-to-dems-in-wake-of-mueller-report-summary-point

 

Trump knows that killing Obamacare was one of his signature promises, even though he doesn't really understand what it is.  Coulter is reminding him.  And Trump responds, even though it's going to hurt millions of Americans.  But he doesn't care.  He doesn't even have a plan.  That's the kind of President we have. 

 

[ShortTimed]

It wouldn't surprise me at all if Trump was just responding to Ann Coulter....  

[Ann Coulter on Monday said Democrats should point out that President Trump "hasn’t kept any of his promises" in the wake of special counsel Robert Mueller's report that found no evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia in the 2016 election.]

[Coulter, a conservative commentator who has feuded with Trump over his failure so far to build a wall on the Mexican border, urged Democrats to tell voters Trump had failed to meet his promises.]

["Hey liberals! Hot tip for you: You want to go after Trump? Point out he hasn’t kept any of his promises," Coulter wrote on Twitter.]

 

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/435575-coulter-offers-advice-to-dems-in-wake-of-mueller-report-summary-point

 

Trump knows that killing Obamacare was one of his signature promises, even though he doesn't really understand what it is.  Coulter is reminding him.  And Trump responds, even though it's going to hurt millions of Americans.  But he doesn't care.  He doesn't even have a plan.  That's the kind of President we have. 

 

 

 

Ending ACA is going to hurt the millions of Americans who are on subsidized healthcare due to low income. This amount is maybe 3 million? It will hurt those with pre-existing like diabetics but there must be an alternative for this group like the Feds offering discounted insulin.

 

Its going to benefit many more millions (100,000,000) who have experienced double digit annual increases in both private and employer health plans for past 8 years for themselves and their families.

 

Obamacare as he originally sold it to the American people—single payer—is very different than what Pelosi sold them.

 

 

 

[Berkshire]

19 minutes ago, ShortTimed said:

 

Ending ACA is going to hurt the millions of Americans who are on subsidized healthcare due to low income. This amount is maybe 3 million? It will hurt those with pre-existing like diabetics but there must be an alternative for this group like the Feds offering discounted insulin.

 

Its going to benefit many more millions (100,000,000) who have experienced double digit annual increases in both private and employer health plans for past 8 years for themselves and their families.

 

Obamacare as he originally sold it to the American people—single payer—is very different than what Pelosi sold them.

 

 

 

The GOP has done everything it can to short-circuit the program, which has resulted in unintended consequences...such as the rise in cost.  Very convenient to insists the program doesn't work, make sure it doesn't, then blame the program.  But the public isn't buying it, as the 2018 midterm proves.  And it will be proven again in 2020, but Trump is too stupid to realize it. 

 

[In 2017, Republican attempts to repeal Obamacare made it clear to everyone that their party didn’t have any better ideas, and never did; everything they proposed would have devastated the lives of millions.]

[And now the Trump administration, having failed to repeal the ACA when Republicans controlled Congress, is suing to have the whole thing declared unconstitutional in court – because what could be a better way to start off the 2020 campaign than taking insurance away from 20 million Americans?]

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/opinion/republicans-really-hate-health-care/ar-BBVgfK2?ocid=wispr

[ShortTimed]

The GOP has done everything it can to short-circuit the program, which has resulted in unintended consequences...such as the rise in cost.  Very convenient to insists the program doesn't work, make sure it doesn't, then blame the program.  But the public isn't buying it, as the 2018 midterm proves.  And it will be proven again in 2020, but Trump is too stupid to realize it. 

 

[in 2017, Republican attempts to repeal Obamacare made it clear to everyone that their party didn’t have any better ideas, and never did; everything they proposed would have devastated the lives of millions.]

[And now the Trump administration, having failed to repeal the ACA when Republicans controlled Congress, is suing to have the whole thing declared unconstitutional in court – because what could be a better way to start off the 2020 campaign than taking insurance away from 20 million Americans?]

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/opinion/republicans-really-hate-health-care/ar-BBVgfK2?ocid=wispr

 

The rise in cost has been going on since Obama first starting talking about his plan and has continued every year since.

 

Talk to people who are enrolled in the ACA and talk to working Americans about their employer sponsored plans.

 

Don’t just bring up links because they are not accurate. Each State has its own regulations and there are 100’s of different Plans available.

 

I am not going to argue with you.

 

Talk to Americans if you want to know.

 

But I agree completely the Republicans have been idiots on this. They have bragged and threatened for many years they would have a better Plan and when given the opportunity and the votes to change it they admit they have nothing.

 

All that talk and they had no alternative.

 

Sure glad I am not an American because they are atleast 10-16 years away from a good single payer system.

[Lacessit]

I guess Trump might have switched his buying pattern from golf courses to hospitals.

[Guest Jerry787]

presently in his first 3 years he done much worst....

why now when re election campaign will start soon, he say he can do better, why he didn't before ? 

guess lots of rednecks and morons will even believe him and get him re elected 

[bristolboy]

1 hour ago, ShortTimed said:

 

Ending ACA is going to hurt the millions of Americans who are on subsidized healthcare due to low income. This amount is maybe 3 million? It will hurt those with pre-existing like diabetics but there must be an alternative for this group like the Feds offering discounted insulin.

 

Its going to benefit many more millions (100,000,000) who have experienced double digit annual increases in both private and employer health plans for past 8 years for themselves and their families.

 

Obamacare as he originally sold it to the American people—single payer—is very different than what Pelosi sold them.

 

 

 

Utter nonsense. Before there was Obamacare, health care costs were zooming upwards. That's Obamacare's fault, too? In fact, much of any increased cost in employer provided health care is because Obamacare set minimum standards for what health care covers. That wasn't the case before. There were lots of junk group health insurance policies out there. Just as there were lots of junk individual policies.They’re mostly gone although the Trump administration has found ways to let some be offered once again. Go Trump!

 

Obamacare was never sold as single payer. That's simply false. And all the moaning and groaning about single payer is simply virtue signaling. The goal should be universal health care. Plenty of countries achieve that through programs that are essentially the same as Obamacare. And considering that most Americans who receive employer provided health care are still satisfied with their coverage, it's currently politically impossible to get single-payer health care enacted in the USA. Over time, as employer-provided health care continues to cost employees more and more, that may change.

And your estimate of how many Americans benefit from Obamacare is way off. 73  million people could lose their health insurance. 21 million because of subsidy issues and 52 million because of pre-existing conditions.

 

And your comment about insulin shows how little you now about diabetes. Diabetics have to be monitored to make sure that their dosage of insulin is appropriate since it can and most likely will vary over time. That means visits to doctors' offices and tests. And if they don't get these tests, their health problems can become much more severe very quickly. And much more costly. That said, it would be a great idea to have the government manufacture insulin as proposed by Elizabeth Warren. Eli Lilly, whose former CEO is now Trump's Secretary for Health and Human Services, increased the price of insulin by 1157% since 1967. What’s more, insulin isn’t the only medication diabetics need.

 

And of course, your criticism takes no account of how people with pre-existing conditions are going to get insurance if Obamacare is gone. That’s approximately 133 million Americans. 52 million of those probably couldn’t get insurance. The rest would have to pay much higher rates. In fact, the main rationale behind Obamacare is how to take care of people with pre-existing conditions. What’s your plan?

 

And what about caps? Before Obamacare, most health insurance had caps on coverage. That means that someone with diseases that are expensive to treat would exhaust their insurance coverage and have to go broke to finance their treatment. Or die. Or both.

 

Eliminating Obamacare would also that some Medicare services that are now free to users such as preventive care and diabetes treatment would be subject to user fees.

 

What else? Oh yes, the children up to aged 26 now covered by their parent’s insurance policies would lose that, too.

 

But apart from these minor considerations, getting rid of Obamacare wouldn’t matter much at all.