President Donald Trump discussed the healthcare insurance industry and the need to work together moving forward on Feb. 27, 2017, during a listening session.
President Trump met with chief executives including Mark Bertolini, Chairman and CEO of Hartford, Conn.-based Aetna, and David Cordani, CEO of Bloomfield, Conn.-based Cigna Corp., among several others.
Here are four key points on what President Trump said.
1. President Trump started the session detailing the fallout from the ACA including double-digit premiums and a diminishing payer presence in many counties. He said almost 50 percent of payers stopped offering coverage in ACA exchanges and many Americans are opting to pay penalties rather than purchase insurance. President Trump said, "That's something that nobody has ever heard of or thought could happen, and they're actually doing that rather than being forced to buy insurance."
2. President Trump said officials and payers should work in tandem to alleviate many issues Americans face from the "chaos that Obamacare has created." He said allowing certain parts of the health law to remain intact would be a mistake. Therefore, President Trump is "asking Secretary [Tom] Price to work with you to stabilize the insurance markets and to ensure a smooth transition to the new plan. And the new plan will be a great plan for the patients, for the people, and hopefully for the companies."
3. President Trump told the payer executives Republican' alternative plan will be very competitive and will drive down prices for consumers.
4. The Trump administration said they hope Democrats stop resisting the plan so the
two parties can work together moving forward. He said, "We [Republicans] want to do the right thing, including reforms like expanded healthcare savings accounts, state flexibility and the ability to purchase across state lines. The state lines are so important for competition."