Posted on 02/04/2016 10:07:13 AM PST by SeekAndFind
GOP presidential frontrunner Donald Trump says Sen. Ted Cruz is a "total liar" for labeling him an advocate of expanded Obamacare or universal national health care along the lines being touted by democratic socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders in the Democratic presidential contest.
During an appearance on ABC's This Week on Sunday Trump insisted he would dismantle the Affordable Care Act if he is elected president and stressed that he doesn't favor a "single payer" universal government program that essentially would provide Medicare coverage for all.
Yet despite the blustery real estate tycoon's protests about Cruz's characterizations, Trump espoused a form of national healthcare coverage that would include the 33 million Americans who still are not covered by Obamacare. Without providing any specifics during his televised appearance, Trump vowed to "work something out" that sounded suspiciously like a distant cousin to Sanders' single-payer concept.
"If somebody has no money and they're lying in the middle of the street and they're dying, I'm going to take care of that person," Trump said. When chief anchor George Stephanopoulos pressed the billionaire businessman to describe how he would accomplish that, Trump said he would "work something out."
"We're going to work with our hospitals," he said. "We're going to work with our doctors. We've got to do something. You can't have a -- a small percentage of our economy, because they're down and out, have absolutely no protection so they end up dying from, you know, what you could have a simple procedure or even a pill. You can't do that."
"We'll work something out," Trump went on. "That doesn't mean single payer."
"And if this means I lose an election, that's fine, because, frankly, we have to take care of the people in our country. We can't let them die on the sidewalks of New York or the sidewalks of Iowa or anywhere else."
A recent Kaiser Family Foundation tracking poll found that 58 percent of Americans support enactment of a national health plan in which all Americans would get their insurance through an expanded form of Medicare, although Democrats are far more enamored of that approach than Republicans are. The downside of that approach, of course, is that Medicare spending is growing out of control, according to a new Congressional Budget Office analysis.
And any move in that direction would necessitate trillions of dollars in new taxes over the coming decade, just when CBO warns the deficit and debt will begin to surge again.
Trump has raised his idea of health insurance coverage for all in the past, although he appears to be talking about a far more complicated approach than simply extending Medicare-style coverage to everyone. During an interview with CBS's 60 Minutes last September, Trump said that Obamacare was "a disaster" -- with excessive premiums and deductibles -- and that he would replace it with a program that would "take care of everybody."
"Everybody's got to be covered," he said. "This is an un-Republican thing for me to say because a lot of times they say, "No, no, the lower 25 percent that can't afford private. But . . . I am going to take care of everybody. I don't care if it costs me votes or not."
As for how to finance his ambitious proposals, Trump said, "The government's going to pay for it. But we're going to save so much money on the other side. But for the most it's going to be a private plan and people are going to be able to go out and negotiate great plans with lots of different competition with lots of competitors with great companies and they can have their doctors, they can have plans, they can have everything."
This is all too much for Cruz, who is struggling to overtake Trump in tonight's GOP caucuses. "Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders have the identical position on health care, which is they want to put the government in charge of you and your doctors," Cruz said yesterday during an appearance on NBC's Meet the Press.
While Cruz's assertion is a gross distortion of where Trump and the two Democrats stand on health care reform in general, there are clearly some similarities, as Politifact noted today. .
For instance, Trump, Clinton and Sanders all favor allowing the federal government to negotiate drug prices to bring down the cost. However, Clinton opposes Sanders' $1.8 trillion idea for expanding the Medicare program to include all Americans, financed by major tax increases. Instead, she advocates building on the Affordable Care Act and containing unreasonable increases in rates and fees.
Trump once voiced admiration for single-payer, but he hasn't presented a health care plan beyond his sketchy proposals. It's also true that the conservative Heritage Foundation in 1989 presented a national health care plan that required, "All citizens should be guaranteed universal access to affordable health care," and using car insurance as a model, "Mandate all households to obtain adequate insurance." Trump has suggested a system in which insurance companies considered financially stable can offer plans across state lines -- a popular idea among Republicans. He also called for the federal government to negotiate with hospitals and drug companies for lower prices and to provide coverage for poorer Americans.
Has Trump EVER said he would “wipe out Obamacare???”
Cruz has. Just asking??
One would think so ardent a critique of someone else’s opinion Trump or Sanders’ policies with regard to healthcare might include some personal comment or experience that relates to it.
Trump, says one thing now, has said or done the opposite prior to campaign.
He’s the virtual personification of “contradiction”.
“We’re going to work with our hospitals,” he said. “We’re going to work with our doctors.”
We’re going to. . . . . Work with Schumer and Pelosi?
[Has Trump EVER said he would “wipe out Obamacare???â€]
He said he would repeal and replace with a system that eliminates state border restrictions for purchasing insurance.
I guess it depends on the definition of “Universal Health Care”. If it means things like, health care not tied to jobs, competition across all states, limited malpractice payouts, catastrophic plans for those who can’t afford or don’t want platinum coverage, and limited subsidies for bare bones coverage offset by medicaid cuts, then I’ll take a look at it.
Yes, Trump says he will wipe out Obamacare at every rally. He has said he will implement portability, health savings accounts, and competition.
He also wants to take care of those who can’t afford any insurance but not with single payer. He will fix the waste, fraud, and abuse in Medicaid and ER care and work with hospitals to provide for them.
He hates Obamacare, says it’s destroying our country.
RE: Has Trump EVER said he would “wipe out Obamacare???â€
SOURCE:
http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/249697-trump-replace-obamacare-with-something-terrific
EXCERPT:
Billionaire businessman Donald Trump on Wednesday offered a glimpse into his presidential platform on healthcare, saying he would replace ObamaCare with “something terrific.”
“It’s gotta go,” Trump said of ObamaCare in an interview Wednesday with CNN. “Repeal and replace with something terrific.”
Trump is a capitalist who believes in American greatness, the greatness of America’s allies like Israel, and the greatness of America’s role as the HOPE OF THE EARTH. Bernie is a Bolshevik with communist followers who are actually nuttier than he is. No comparison between the two. The end.
Thanks -— I missed that one. OK, he is on the record.
BS, GOPe propaganda
Trump plan is based on cross state competition, a free market solution to get lower premiums, Trump wants people to use Medical Savings accounts to pay for things like drugs, co pays. As I understand it since his Tax plan eliminates taxes for earner under $50k , middle class people at last have some money to pay medical insurance and bills not covered by deductibles.
Where do these liars come up with this fabrication of Trump’s proposals. Most other Republicans have similar plans.
I heard him say he would get rid of Obama care, that it’s replacement would surround the concept of health savings accounts, and be a private sector heavy system. Heard him say it first hand.
TRUMP ON HEALTHCARE:
SOURCE: http://www.ontheissues.org/Donald_Trump.htm
Replace Obamacare with Health Savings Accounts. (Oct 2015)
I’m for vaccines, but in smaller quantities to avoid autism. (Sep 2015)
The insurance companies have total control over politicians. (Aug 2015)
We didn’t have a free market before ObamaCare. (Jun 2015)
ObamaCare is a catastrophe that must be repealed & replaced. (Jun 2015)
Don’t cut Medicare; grow the economy to keep benefits. (Jun 2015)
ObamaCare deductibles are so high that it’s useless. (Jun 2015)
Save Medicare & Medicaid without cutting them to the bone. (Jan 2015)
Kill ObamaCare before it becomes a trillion-ton weight. (Dec 2011)
Increase insurance competition across state lines. (Dec 2011)
1988: Flew sick kids cross-country on his private jet. (Apr 2010)
We must have universal health care. (Jul 2000)
Here we go again. Pathetic lies. Are these paid folks that just keep heaping on the healthcare lie. What a lying title. I’m guessing Cruz supporters of the same ilk that scammed Carson voters. Lie, lie, lie. Scam, scam, scam.
How do you conclude “not single payer” from “the government’s going to pay for it”, exactly?
“If it means things like, health care not tied to jobs, competition across all states, limited malpractice payouts, catastrophic plans for those who can’t afford or don’t want platinum coverage, and limited subsidies for bare bones coverage offset by medicaid cuts, then I’ll take a look at it.”
Sounds like a good package of reforms.
What exactly is the definition of a “single payer” healthcare system? And how does it compare to the current private/public healthcare system?
Here is what Trump USED to believe:
"I'm a conservative on most issues but a liberal on health. It is an unacceptable but accurate fact that the number of uninsured Americans has risen to 42 million. Working out detailed plans will take time. But the goal should be clear: Our people are our greatest asset. We must take care of our own. We must have universal healthcare."
That is from his book The America We Deserve. I know that was written in 2000, but even listening to his comments during the campaign, it doesn't sound like his basic position has changed. He has modified his tactics for the time being in order to sound conservative, but he still basically believes in universal healthcare.
.. He said he would repeal and replace with a system that eliminates state border restrictions for purchasing insurance.
Cruz said that. Do you have a link showing Trump ever said that?
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