In late September, President Trump released the America First Healthcare Plan, an executive order aimed at replacing the Affordable Care Act (ACA), in an event at the Duke Energy Hangar in Charlotte, North Carolina. Experts continue to debate the logistics and lack of detail provided in the presentation; however, the promised outcome is full of lofty goals that are important to remain aware of when heading into the 2020 presidential election. The order encompasses three key pillars: more choices, lower costs, and better care.
More Choices
According to President Trump’s presentation, in 2017, 50 percent of counties in the United States only offered plans from a single insurance company. By November, he says, more than 90 percent of counties nationwide will have multiple carrier options to choose from.
President Trump also claims that, under the America First plan, families will have the ability to choose from a wider array of plans at lower costs. The plan includes several short-term plans at lower rates, which do not stand-in for yearlong health plans and do not account for the ten basic requirements ACA plans must provide.
Moving forward through the coronavirus crisis and beyond, telehealth is likely to continue growing. President Trump claims that his plan with drastically expand telehealth services, as well.
Lower Costs
The plan focuses on lower costs specifically for families and seniors. With the America First Healthcare Plan, President Trump aims to end all surprise billing, which occurs when a patient unknowingly receives treatment from an out-of-network provider and is subsequently billed a drastically inflated medical bill, usually totaling thousands of dollars.
Another proposed mandate is that of price transparency, which would ideally boost competition and lower prices across the healthcare industry. By requiring all healthcare providers to post-service prices online, consumers will gain the ability to shop around for the best prices for medical services, which would drive prices down, according to the president.
Perhaps the largest way President Trump aims to lower healthcare costs in his America First Healthcare Plan is to take on Big Pharma and lower drug prices across the board. He claims that the plan will allow the United States to import pharmaceuticals from Canada to lower drug costs through approving more generic drugs at lower costs and through the favored nations clause, which may lower drug costs to the best price, regardless of location. Details of the clause’s practicality and reliability are still being debated.
Better Care
Trump’s America First Healthcare Plan’s third and final pillar is better care for American patients. To provide American patients with better care, President Trump claims that his plan will ensure insurance companies must cover those with pre-existing conditions, who are currently covered under the Affordable Care Act and will ensure that veterans are well-taken care of through improved VA facilities and care.
Again, experts continue to debate the efficacity and legality of the order; however, it is important to educate yourself and your clients on the potential changes that healthcare may undergo in the coming years as election day rapidly approaches.
Agents
We hope this information on the America First Healthcare Plan is helpful to you.
Empower Brokerage is dedicated to helping you educate your clients on the insurance they need and staying on top of their health. Whether it’s through webinar training, one-on-one calls, seminars, or marketing plans. We want you to be successful. Give us a call if you have any questions 888-539-1633.
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Originally from the snow-capped Rockies, Macee moved to Texas in 2016 to pursue an undergraduate degree in Strategic Communication. She currently serves as a writer and editor for Empower Brokerage, as well as the marketing manager for Preferred Senior Advisors. Macee is also working on her Master’s degree in management, and hopes to inspire others with her passion for telling stories through varied digital and print marketing efforts.
