President Trump’s America First Healthcare

Yesterday, President Trump unveiled a new health care plan that will put Americans first. He signed the first Executive Order in American history to declare it is the policy of the Federal Government to protect individuals with preexisting conditions and ensure they have access to care they can afford. The Trump administration will improve access to direct primary care arrangements that cut out the middleman and cut red tape to enable patients to spend more time with their doctors and invest in critical areas, including pediatric cancer, Sickle Cell Disease, and Alzheimer’s research.

The President and his Administration have taken numerous actions to increase choice and competition in health care to bring down costs, saving Americans billions of dollars:

• • The Trump Administration has expanded the use of short-term, limited-duration health insurance (STLD) plans, which offer more choices at lower costs to consumers
  • The Trump Administration has expanded access to Association Health Plans (AHPs), which make it easier for small businesses to band together to offer better insurance and lower premiums for their workers
  • The Trump Administration expanded Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs), allowing employees to use money from their employer to buy the insurance of their choice

President Trump is providing Americans with more healthcare options to put patients and doctors back in control. He has repealed Obamacare’s individual mandate penalty, which primarily hurt middle-class and lower-income Americans. He’s signed legislation to repeal the unpopular Obamacare Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB), and over the last two years, premiums for Obamacare plans are declining for the first time.

In addition, President Trump is aggressively fighting to bring down drug prices and the American people are seeing the results:

• • The White House Council of Economic Advisors has said the U.S. is making progress on drug prices at rates not seen since the 1960s
  • So far, in every year of the Trump Administration, the FDA has approved a record number of generic drugs, delivering cheaper alternatives to name brands
  • The Trump Administration released new principles for reducing the cost of prescription drugs which was praised by both Republicans and Democrats
  • President Trump signed legislation to improve transparency in drug pricing and is fighting to bring lower drug prices that the rest of the world sees to America
  • The Trump Administration is helping Medicare recipients by providing better price transparency and eliminating kickbacks, saving thousands of dollars for America’s seniors
  • The Trump administration has worked to allow the importation of cheaper drugs from Canada and other countries to reduce prescription drug costs
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  • President Trump worked to help lower income Americans gain access to life-saving medications, including insulin, at affordable costs

Yesterday, President Trump signed an Executive Order to end surprise billing and announced the Trump Administration will send prescription drug discount cards to over 33 million seniors. Already, premiums for Medicare plans and coverage in the individual market have decreased under President Trump, after increasing significantly under the prior Administration. Over the next four years, President Trump will continue his drive to lower costs for American patients, starting with requiring hospitals and insurance companies to make their prices transparent. President Trump will work to ensure that the prices Americans pay for prescription drugs, especially through Medicare, are the lowest among peer nations.