President Donald Trump delivered his State of the Union address Feb 4., criticizing proposals for a single-payer system while highlighting his efforts around price transparency and pharmaceutical pricing, Politico reports.
President Trump used 609 words of his address to talk about healthcare, touching on six topics:
Government-subsidized health plans
President Trump highlighted his administration's efforts to create "the most affordable, innovative and high-quality health system on Earth," claiming the health plans his administration created were 60 percent less expensive. He then pledged to "always protect patients with preexisting conditions." Politico refuted the claim, noting the Trump administration is part of a Republican-led lawsuit that aims to scrap the ACA, eliminating the mandate for insurance companies to insure patients with preexisting conditions. Mr. Trump then addressed the elderly voting base by reaffirming his administration's commitment to protecting Medicare and Social Society.
Price transparency
He then touched on his administration's efforts to require hospitals to disclose their negotiated rates with insurers, saying his executive order to do so "will be even bigger than healthcare reform."
Single-payer systems
He transitioned to price transparency, addressing his opponents in the 2020 election and taking a shot at "Medicare for All," which has been the focus of several Democratic campaigns. He called out efforts to begin discussions around a single-payer health plan, saying, "One hundred thirty-two lawmakers in this room have endorsed legislation to impose a socialist takeover of our healthcare system, wiping out the health insurance plans of 180 million very happy Americans." President Trump affirmed his position against single-payer, saying, "We will never let socialism destroy American healthcare."
Providing healthcare to immigrants living in the country illegally
He dove further into the issue, noting his opposition to a proposal that would provide taxpayer-funded healthcare to immigrants living in the U.S. without legal permission.
Politico added context, saying that a NBC/Wall Street Journal poll found the majority of Americans were against the proposal. President Trump said, "If forcing American taxpayers to provide free healthcare to illegal immigrants sounds fair to you, stand with the radical left. If you think we should defend patients and seniors, stand with me to pass legislation to prohibit free healthcare for illegal aliens."
Drug pricing
After touching on the U.S.-Mexico border wall, President Trump transitioned to his efforts around drug pricing, claiming his administration, "approved a record number of affordable generic drugs, and medicines are being approved by the FDA at a faster clip than ever before." Politico said while that was true, the increase can be attributed to the Generic Drug User Fee Act, which was implemented under the Obama administration.
He then claimed the cost of prescription drugs decreased for the first time in 51 years, which Politico said was a questionable claim, noting that while price hikes have slowed, prices on brand-name medication didn't decrease, and prices of more than 470 drugs increased by 5 percent at the beginning of the year.
Mr. Trump then called for a bipartisan effort around drug pricing. The Senate and House have dueling bills around drug pricing. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, proposed a bill that has lacked Republican support, while House Democrats passed a bill that the Trump administration and Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., both oppose.
Public health
President Trump closed out his remarks around healthcare by touching on the opioid crisis and the new coronavirus from China. He noted that several Midwestern states decreased opioid rates. Politico countered saying while several states did decrease overdose death rates, other states had large increases. He closed out his comments on healthcare touching on efforts to fight the coronavirus, childhood cancer and the AIDS epidemic.