White House says it's working on new health care plan but is worried Trump will ruin it
Trump and the GOP have been actively trying to rip health care away from millions of families.
A secret health care plan is in the works at the White House, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday. Details about the plan are sketchy, but White House officials insist that the plan will protect people with preexisting conditions — something no Republican health care plan in the past has ever done, including those supported by Trump.
According to the Journal, the plan is being concocted “as part of a campaign strategy to offer an alternative to Democratic candidates who back Medicare for All.” All leading Democratic candidates support efforts to increase the number of Americans who have health care, whereas all of Trump’s efforts thus far would have the opposite effect.
Efforts by Trump and Republicans to take health care away from people could contribute to the fact that Americans trust Democrats more than Republicans on the issue.
Trump’s most recent health care gambit is to support a lawsuit spearheaded by Republicans in 20 states to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA). If Trump gets what he desires, 20 million Americans would lose their health insurance.
Further, millions of Americans with preexisting conditions would lose protections afforded by the ACA. Right now, health insurance companies cannot deny health insurance to individuals who have preexisting conditions — and they cannot charge higher premiums, either.
In court filings, Trump administration lawyers said the entire law, including protections for preexisting conditions, “must be struck down.”
The promise of a Trump health care plan is nothing new. Before his inauguration, Trump promised health insurance for everyone, but never put out a plan coming anywhere close to fulfilling such a promise.
In March, Trump promised that Republican senators were working on a plan to replace the ACA, but there was no such working group. He reiterated the claim in early April, but no plan ever materialized.
This time around, the Journal reports that Trump’s long-promised health care plan will not only protect people with preexisting conditions but also give states more flexibility in administering plans and encourage the sale of plans across state lines.
Trump has not signed off on the secret plan, and some aides told the Journal that they fear he won’t support the ideas, which would lead to yet another health care plan failing to materialize.
White House officials told the Journal they hope the secret plan can be rolled out in September.
If it ever gets rolled out at all, that is.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.
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