President Trump unveiled a long-awaited health care plan Thursday designed to deliver government assistance directly to consumers instead of routing money to insurance companies under the Obamacare framework.
The program also calls on Congress to pass into law the “most-favored nation” prices he negotiated with top drugmakers to peg the cost of medicine to what other developed nations pay.
“Instead of putting the needs of big corporations and special interests first, our plan finally puts you first and puts more money in your pocket,” Mr. Trump said in a video. “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 White House planned to fill in the details later Thursday.
Republicans failed to repeal and replace Obamacare during Mr. Trump’s first term, though the president remains fixated on fixing problems in the 2010 law during his second term.
Democrats are furious that Republicans last year reduced supersized, Biden-era premiums under Obamacare, which used government subsidies to defray the cost of monthly premiums and make the program more attractive.
Rather than extend the high subsidies, Mr. Trump is pushing Congress to send money directly to Americans so they can choose health care outside the strictures of Obamacare.
“I want to end this flagrant scam and put extra money straight into the health care savings account in your name, and you go out and buy your own health care, and you’ll make a great deal, you’ll get better health care for less money — that way you can choose the care that is right for your family,” Mr. Trump said.
Mr. Trump also said his plan will inject $36 billion into a cost-sharing program so Americans see lower costs when they adopt Obamacare coverage.
