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What You Should Know
– Today, President Donald J. Trump has launched “The Great Healthcare Plan,” a sweeping initiative designed to lower prescription drug costs to the lowest international levels and reduce insurance premiums by over 10%.
– The “Great Healthcare Plan” shifts taxpayer-funded subsidies away from “big insurance companies” to be delivered directly to the American people, while mandating unprecedented “Plain-English” transparency standards for every insurer and provider nationwide.
The Global Price Reset: Slashing Drug Costs by 500%
The cornerstone of the plan is the codification of “Most-Favored-Nation” deals, ensuring Americans pay the same low prices for prescription drugs as people in other countries. Building on previous insulin affordability measures, this policy aims to blow the roof off pharmaceutical pricing through a new digital portal, Trumprx.gov.
- International Parity: The plan mandates the lowest price in the world for domestic prescriptions, which the administration claims will bring costs down by 80% to 90% in some cases.
- OTC Expansion: To reduce “costly and time-consuming” doctor visits, more verified safe drugs will be moved to over-the-counter (OTC) status, increasing competition and consumer choice.
- Grandfathering Negotiated Deals: Voluntarily negotiated deals with HHS/CMS currently in place will remain protected.
Direct-to-Consumer Subsidies: Ending the ‘Middleman Kickback’
The Great Healthcare Plan represents a fundamental shift in how federal funds flow through the healthcare ecosystem. By bypassing the “big insurance companies,” the administration intends to put patients back in control of their care.
- The $36 Billion Savings: Funding a cost-sharing reduction program is projected by the CBO to reduce the most common plan premiums by over 10%.
- Eliminating PBM Kickbacks: The plan aims to end “kickbacks” paid by Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) to brokerage middlemen, which the administration identifies as a hidden driver of premium hikes.
- Health Savings Accounts: Extra money will be sent directly into personal healthcare savings accounts, allowing eligible Americans to “buy the health insurance of their choice”.
Accountability Mandate: The ‘Plain-English’ Standard
To address what the President calls the “scam” of confusing medical billing, the plan orders a total overhaul of how insurers communicate with the public.
Insurers must now publicly disclose on their websites:
- Overhead vs. Care: The exact percentage of revenue spent on actual claims versus executive profits and overhead.
- Denial Rates: The percentage of insurance claims they reject.
- Wait Times: Average wait times for routine care services.
While many healthcare “plans” are merely conceptual, The Great Healthcare Plan is being framed as an immediate operational directive. By requiring any provider accepting Medicare or Medicaid to “Post Prices on the Wall,” the administration is leveraging the nation’s largest payer as a hammer to force market-wide transparency.
For more information on The Great Healthcare Plan visit: greathealthcare.gov.
