·
Order will focus on a program that involves private insurers
·
President has vowed to act on health care since 2018 election
President
Donald Trump will outline his vision for the future of Medicare this week,
contrasting plans with Democrats in a speech promising to strengthen the
program for the elderly and disabled.
Trump is
scheduled to travel to Florida on Thursday where he’ll deliver a wide-ranging
speech on his administration’s health policy, and announce an executive order
regarding the Medicare system, titled “Protecting Medicare from Socialist
Destruction.”
Trump’s
remarks will focus on Medicare Advantage, a program in which private insurers
including UnitedHealth Group Inc.
and Humana Inc. provide benefits in place of the
government, according to two people familiar with the matter. They spoke on
condition of anonymity to discuss Trump’s announcement before it is made
public.
White House spokesman Judd Deere
declined to share details of the announcement but said Trump would defend his
record on health care.
“From day one, President Trump and his
administration have worked to provide seniors with high-quality, affordable
care in the Medicare program and improved options through Medicare Advantage,”
Deere said in a statement.
The president intends to draw a clear contrast
with Democrats: He aims to to protect and improve Medicare while providing
choice, even as some Democrats push for vastly expanded or universal Medicare
that Trump argues will increase costs and kill existing plans, the people said.
He’ll also touch broadly on the
administration’s record on health care, including prices, a move to expand
kidney dialysis services and the importance of strengthening value-based care,
the people said.
The
administration has teased the speech, including signaling that it might soon
issue a long-promised order requiring Medicare to create an “international
pricing index” to match prices paid by other countries.
Trump has repeatedly promised action
on drug prices and protections for people with pre-existing conditions since
Democrats won control of the House last November.
White House counselor Kellyanne Conway
said last month that Trump’s plan would overhaul Medicaid and enable workers to
more easily buy insurance plans other than those provided by their employers.
No comments:
Post a Comment