Trump health care reform plan includes repeal of individual mandate, more state Medicaid management and other small government ideas

03/09/2016 / By usafeaturesmedia / Comments

(BigGovernment.news) Billionaire real estate mogul and leading 2016 Republican presidential contender Donald Trump has fielded a lot of criticism from rivals for only posing as a conservative, but the details of his new health care reform proposal provide no small amount of grist for conservative voters.

As reported by Fox News, one of the principle measures of the seven-point plan is a repeal of Obamacare’s so-called “individual mandate” – that is, the provision of the law that requires all Americans to buy health insurance or face gradually-increasing financial penalties that will be enforced and collected by a weaponized IRS.

Posted on his campaign web site, Trump’s plan also calls for devolving some power from Washington, D.C., back to states, such as providing block grants that will be managed by state legislatures, to cut down on waste, fraud and abuse.

“Our elected representatives must eliminate the individual mandate. No person should be required to buy insurance unless he or she wants to,” the plan states, advocating for a “complete repeal of Obamacare.”

As for Medicaid reform, the block grants would provide states with “incentives” to clean up fraud and abuse.

“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,” it says.

In addition, the plan calls for allowing consumers to purchase health insurance plans across state lines, as a means of increasing competition.

• More: If the IRS gets your money, good luck getting it back – even if they owe it to you

“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,” says the plan.

Health insurance premiums began climbing dramatically as more of Obamacare’s onerous provisions were implemented.

The plan also calls for allowing Americans to deduct health insurance premiums from their income taxes. “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,” the plan notes.

It also calls for reinstating health savings accounts, requiring “price transparency” from all healthcare providers, and remove legal barriers for drug makers seeking to enter the U.S. market with proven safe medications from other countries that may also be cheaper for American consumers.

“The reforms outlined … will lower healthcare costs for all Americans. They are simply a place to start,” the Trump campaign noted. “There are other reforms that might be considered if they serve to lower costs, remove uncertainty and provide financial security for all Americans. And we must also take actions in other policy areas to lower healthcare costs and burdens.”

• More: Obamacare will be a job killer for years to come: CBO

BigGovernment.news is part of the USA Features Media network of sites.

To read more about Donald Trump News, please go to Trump.news for all the latest updates

Submit a correction >>

Donald Trump, health care reform, obamacare, priority

This article may contain statements that reflect the opinion of the author