Posted on 03/03/2016 7:01:49 AM PST by Sean_Anthony
A lot more than just getting rid of the lines
I mentioned on Facebook yesterday that I am not that big a fan of election years, and here’s a case in point. At this moment, #NeverTrump is all the rage among conservatives, and there’s a tremendous push to get Republican primary voters united against one remaining Trump rival to take the nomination away from him.
My job is to write what I think about whatever happens on a given day. It’s not to only write what I think will result in a certain outcome. So when I tell you that Donald Trump’s new seven-point health care reform plan is excellent, some of you are going to say: Don’t say that now! It’ll help Trump! #NeverTrump!!!
But my job is not to care one way or the other about who it will help or hurt. It’s to say what I honestly think. And what I honestly think is that the plan Trump released yesterday is as good as I’ve heard from anyone in the race - if not necessarily better - for how to replace ObamaCare. I’m going to excerpt the seven points entirely from Trump’s web site:
This might shut up baby Rubio.
He is dreaming on some of those items, but some details are better than none.
He’s telling me just what I wanted to hear.
Actually, I think it is all the rage among Elitists.
I think that's the point.
2.Modify existing law that inhibits the sale of health insurance across state lines. As long as the plan purchased complies with state requirements, any vendor ought to be able to offer insurance in any state. By allowing full competition in this market, insurance costs will go down and consumer satisfaction will go up.
3. Allow individuals to fully deduct health insurance premium payments from their tax returns under the current tax system. Businesses are allowed to take these deductions so why wouldn’t Congress allow individuals the same exemptions? As we allow the free market to provide insurance coverage opportunities to companies and individuals, we must also make sure that no one slips through the cracks simply because they cannot afford insurance. We must review basic options for Medicaid and work with states to ensure that those who want healthcare coverage can have it.
4. Allow individuals to use Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). Contributions into HSAs should be tax-free and should be allowed to accumulate. These accounts would become part of the estate of the individual and could be passed on to heirs without fear of any death penalty. These plans should be particularly attractive to young people who are healthy and can afford high-deductible insurance plans. These funds can be used by any member of a family without penalty. The flexibility and security provided by HSAs will be of great benefit to all who participate.
5. Require price transparency from all healthcare providers, especially doctors and healthcare organizations like clinics and hospitals. Individuals should be able to shop to find the best prices for procedures, exams or any other medical-related procedure.
6. Block-grant Medicaid to the states. Nearly every state already offers benefits beyond what is required in the current Medicaid structure. The state governments know their people best and can manage the administration of Medicaid far better without federal overhead. States will have the incentives to seek out and eliminate fraud, waste and abuse to preserve our precious resources.
7. Remove barriers to entry into free markets for drug providers that offer safe, reliable and cheaper products. 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. Allowing consumers access to imported, safe and dependable drugs from overseas will bring more options to consumers.
Rubio will have to come up with some new repertoire at tonight’s debate.
For the life of me I don't know why Ben Carson didn't make this a bigger part of his campaign.
His lecture to Bathhouse Barry at the National Day of Prayer Breakfast is what launched him into prominence and I think most of what he proposed is contained in TrumpCare.
As for how to pay for TrumpCare; I would suggest abolishing Medicare, HHS, CDC and other Kris Krispykreme sized bureaucracies and give the money directly to American to spend as they see fit on their health care.
A honest review of Trump’s plan.
Shame we have to go to Canada to get a honest review of anything political these days.
Trump’s Health Plan
My opinion it hits it out of the ball park.
I will sit back and watch “so called conservatives” try to poke holes in it.
The part that excited me was this: “Allow individuals to fully deduct health insurance premium payments from their tax returns under the current tax system. Businesses are allowed to take these deductions so why wouldn’t Congress allow individuals the same exemptions?”
One problem with health insurance in the US is that it is tied to people’s jobs, and that goes back to businesses finding a way to work around WW II wage and price controls. They couldn’t offer employees more money, so they offered insurance, which businesses could also write off as a business expense. Giving people that same tax break may help to break that connection, so that eventually people are free to get health insurance the way they do car insurance — individually, and according to what they personally prefer.
It’s very good.
As with EVERYTHING else Trump says, it’s negotiable.
I like all these provisions, especially the price transparency. Assuming others like this, Trump and any remaining candidates would be well-advised to continue to flesh out all of positions to this level of specificity. “Repeal Obamacare” has an appeal within a stump speech and these provisions will give more energy to that appeal.
It’s a good plan.
Will Trump read it and know what’s in his plan before the debate tonight?
The plan calls for no mandate. It’s been less than 2 weeks since he said mandates are a good thing. When called out, he said he meant no preexisting conditions exclusions. Except. The only way to get there is with mandatory coverage. SOMEBODY has to pay to cover preexisting conditions. Every program so far has deemed that that somebody should be somebody else by mandate.
There are big holes between his written plan and his comments on the subject. I’m a skeptic.
This is the best possible pre-rebuttal to Romney’s speech — he can claim Trump is not conservative, but the record clearly shows *this* is a good free-market approach, while Romneycare and Obamacare are equivalent.
Shut down Federal “health care” entirely. Give block grants for Medicaid and Medicare to the States, on declining basis. Let Americans organize their own health-care on a local basis. They will do it much better, and much cheaper with much more freedom
1. He says he wants to eliminate the mandate to buy health insurance. Last week he said he 'loved' the mandate to buy health insurance. Which position will he take if president?
2.He says he wants to allow the importation of (likely price controlled) drugs that cost more if bought in the US. This will completely destroy the incentive of drug producers to develop new drugs. Due primarily to US government regulations, it costs billions to develop new drugs. If the companies are not allowed to recover those costs, they will stop doing it.
I never knew either of my two grandfathers. They both died from diseases that can be cured today with a $10 prescription of drugs. My kids all grew up with four grandparents that lived into their 90's. All of them developed dementia before dying. I hope that I, too, will live into my 90s, but I also hope that a cure for dementia will be found before then. Trump's plan will kill that hope.
No, that’s not what I was thinking. I will wait for him to tell me again tonight in Detroit. He’s a serious man, not a serious politician.
My family is suffering because of how much my cost’s have gone up in the last two years while the welfare queens get it for free.
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