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During a speech in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, President Donald Trump criticized Obamacare, claiming it benefits insurance companies at the expense of the public.
His remarks were delivered shortly after he announced plans to meet with health insurance companies to discuss potential price reductions. Meanwhile, House Republicans have advanced legislation aimed at lowering healthcare costs, now awaiting Senate consideration.
“The so-called Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare, was designed to enrich insurance companies,” Trump stated. “It resulted in subpar healthcare at an unaffordable price, and the recent surge in premiums is being driven by the Democrats.”
He further argued, “Obamacare was never beneficial. It was crafted to serve the interests of insurance companies, who have significant sway over the Democrats.”
Democrats had pushed for an extension of COVID-era Obamacare subsidies during a 43-day government shutdown starting in October. The stopgap measure Trump signed on November 13 will conclude at January’s end. Trump suggested that Democrats might prompt another shutdown to extend these subsidies.
One of several concessions that Democrats sought in shutting the government down, in part, for 43 days beginning in October, was an extension of COVID-era Obamacare subsidies. The continuing resolution Trump signed on November 13 is set to expire at the end of January, and Trump noted that Democrats could shut down the government again in an effort to get an extension of the subsidies.
“That’s why you could have a strike on January 30. You could have another shutdown because the Democrats are totally in the hands of — they’re totally controlled by the insurance companies, big wealthy companies,” he said.
“Again, I want the money to go directly to the people so you can buy your own health care, and you’ll get much better health care at a much lower price, and the only losers will be the insurance companies that have gotten rich,” he added.
During an announcement earlier Friday of nine more deals with pharmaceutical companies to drastically lower prescription prices, marking the 6th to 14th such agreements he reached since late September, Trump said he plans to convene a meeting with insurance companies soon to push for lower prices for consumers.
“I’m going to call a meeting of the insurance companies. I’m going to see if they get their price down, to put it very bluntly,” he said.
Trump said a meeting could take place in Florida while he is in Mar-a-Lago, or it could be back in Washington, DC, the first week he returns to the White House, noting large insurance companies have received “far more money than they’re entitled to.”
