A sweeping healthcare plan unveiled by the Trump Administration calls on Congress to replace Obamacare with a new system geared toward lowering costs, reducing federal spending, and returning decision-making power to patients.
The bill, dubbed the “Great Healthcare Plan” by the President, is designed to address rising premiums, high prescription drug prices, and what officials describe as excessive taxpayer-funded subsidies that have kept Obamacare afloat for more than a decade.
The administration argues that President Obama’s Affordable Care Act caused healthcare costs to skyrocket while requiring billions of dollars each year in federal subsidies to stabilize insurance markets. Critics charge that the act was designed to fail and move the country toward a government-run healthcare system.
The subsidies, estimated at more than $350 billion over the next decade, are now at the center of a major standoff in Washington. Democrats have warned they may again shut down the government if the funding is not renewed, while Republicans argue that extending the subsidies only prolongs a broken system rather than fixing it.
Under the proposal, money currently paid to insurance companies through Obamacare subsidies would instead be sent directly to eligible Americans. Supporters say this would allow individuals and families to buy coverage that better fits their needs in a competitive marketplace, encouraging innovation and driving down costs. Illegal immigrants would not be deemed “eligible Americans,” setting up a broader conflict over the Democrat-backed model of expanding government-funded healthcare to non-citizens.
Lowering prescription drug prices is another cornerstone of Trump’s plan. It calls for codifying “Most-Favored-Nation” pricing to ensure Americans pay no more for certain medications than patients in other developed countries. The administration says recent agreements with major pharmaceutical manufacturers have already reduced prices on drugs used by millions of Americans, including insulin.
The plan also targets insurance premiums by ending pharmacy benefit manager kickbacks and requiring insurers to disclose profits, overhead costs, and claim denial rates in plain English. Healthcare providers and insurers that accept Medicare or Medicaid would be required to clearly post prices and fees, expanding transparency and accountability.
“We are ending the days of insurance companies hiding behind complexity. Americans deserve plain-English information about costs, profits, and denied care,” Trump said. “Healthcare providers and insurers must be transparent up front. This plan restores accountability and gives power back to patients.”
According to the White House, the plan would save taxpayers at least $36 billion through reforms to cost-sharing programs while reducing premiums for common Obamacare plans by more than 10 percent.
The proposal represents a sharp departure from the universal healthcare model favored by Democrats, which includes coverage for non-citizens. Instead, Trump’s plan emphasizes individual choice, market competition, and placing healthcare dollars directly in the hands of taxpayers.
“Americans should not need a dictionary or a lawyer to understand their health insurance,” the President said. “My plan requires clear, plain-English pricing and coverage so families can make informed decisions.”
In its summary of the proposal, the White House also noted that President Trump’s Working Families Tax Cuts law expanded access to health savings accounts for up to ten million people on Obamacare, took what it described as the most significant actions to reduce healthcare fraud and abuse in history, and made the largest investment in rural healthcare ever.