Donald Trump released a seven-point health care policy paper this week, boasting that his plank would reduce health care costs and dubbing his plan “healthcare reform to make America great again.”
McClatchy Washington Bureau
Donald Trump released a seven-point health care policy paper this week, boasting that his plank would reduce health care costs and dubbing his plan “healthcare reform to make America great again.”
The release comes one day before Thursday’s Republican debate. Trump was needled during last week’s debate, for being vague about his plans to reform health care. The policy paper released Wednesday is Trump’s sixth. In comparison, Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton has released two dozen.
Each of the four remaining Republican candidates have pledged to repeal the Affordable Care Act.
Here are the details of Trump’s plan.
– Repeal Obamacare. “Our elected representatives must eliminate the individual mandate. No person should be required to buy insurance unless he or she wants to.”
– Repeal the McCarran-Ferguson Act, and allow the sale of insurance across state lines. “By allowing full competition in this market, insurance costs will go down and consumer satisfaction will go up.”
– Allow tax payers to fully deduct health insurance premium payments in their tax returns, as businesses can. “Businesses are allowed to take these deductions so why wouldn’t Congress allow individuals the same exemptions?”
– Review basic options for Medicaid and work with states to ensure that those who want healthcare coverage can have it.
– Allow all individuals to use Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), and make those contributions tax-free and allow them to accumulate year after year. Make them part of an individual’s estate, able to be passed on to heirs without fear of any death penalty.
– Require price transparency from all healthcare providers, including clinics and hospitals.
– Block-grant Medicaid to the states. Incentivize the states to seek out and eliminate fraud, waste and abuse to preserve government resources.
– Remove barriers to entry into free markets for drug providers that offer safe, generic options. “Congress will need the courage to step away from the special interests and do what is right for America. Though the pharmaceutical industry is in the private sector, drug companies provide a public service.”
