Experts Debunk Trump’s Claims That He Saved Pre-Existing Conditions Coverage
President Donald Trump defended his administration's efforts to protect health coverage for Americans in response to presidential hopeful Michael Bloomberg's ads, but fact checkers and other experts were quick to point out that Trump has gone to great lengths to weaken the health law and its popular provisions throughout his presidency. “That tweet is so far inconsistent with the direction of their policy push,” said Linda Blumberg, a health policy analyst at the Urban Institute. “It’s just astounding to me.”
The Hill:
Trump Knocks 'Mini Mike Bloomberg' Over Health Care, 'False Advertising'
President Trump on Monday lashed out at former New York City Mayor and Democratic presidential hopeful Michael Bloomberg, defending his administration's health care record. "Mini Mike Bloomberg is spending a lot of money on False Advertising," Trump tweeted. "I was the person who saved Pre-Existing Conditions in your Healthcare," he continued, adding that he would "always protect your Pre-Existing Conditions, the Dems will not!" (Sullivan, 1/13)
The New York Times:
To The Contrary, Trump Has Tried To Weaken Protections For Pre-Existing Conditions
President Trump was not in Washington when the Affordable Care Act established a right to health insurance for Americans with pre-existing health conditions. His first legislative priority as president was a bill that would have repealed key parts of Obamacare and weakened such protections. His Justice Department is arguing in court that the entire law should be overturned. His tweets Monday morning, describing himself as “the person who saved pre-existing conditions,” contradict this record. (Sanger-Katz, 1/13)
The Associated Press Fact Check:
No, Trump Didn't Save Preexisting Conditions
Trump's administration has been pressing in court for full repeal of the Obama-era law, including provisions that protect people with preexisting conditions from health insurance discrimination. With “Obamacare” still in place, preexisting conditions continue to be covered by regular individual health insurance plans. Insurers must take all applicants, regardless of medical history, and charge the same standard premiums to healthy people and those who are in poor health, or have a history of medical problems. (Yen, 1/13)
Politico:
Trump Attacks Bloomberg On Health Care With Misleading Claim
Under Trump, the Justice Department also dropped its legal defense of Obamacare — a nearly unprecedented move that drove the senior DOJ lawyer on the case to resign in protest — and supported a lawsuit by Republican-governed states to scrap the law. A federal judge in December 2018 agreed with the GOP plaintiffs and ruled that the entire law should be struck down. The Trump administration earlier this month asked the Supreme Court to delay hearing appeals in the case until after the 2020 election. (Forgey and Diamond, 1/13)
The Washington Post Fact Checker:
Trump’s Traffic Jam Of False Claims On Preexisting Conditions
Moreover, the Trump administration has issued new rules that promote the use of low-quality short-term plans that were prohibited under the ACA. These plans typically don’t have the same protections for people with existing health conditions, allowing insurance companies to deny coverage or charge higher prices. (A number of states, mainly Democratic-leaning, have acted to prohibit or limit these Trump plans.) (Kessler, 1/13)
Kaiser Health News:
Team Trump Says Administration’s Action On Health Care ‘Is Working.’ Is It?
“That tweet is so far inconsistent with the direction of their policy push,” said Linda Blumberg, a health policy analyst at the Urban Institute, a think tank. “It’s just astounding to me.” The administration has attempted to or successfully undermined coverage, argued Blumberg and other policy analysts, pointing to the Affordable Care Act repeal effort, which the president championed and continues to prioritize, along with changes made to the individual marketplace, where people buy insurance. (Luthra, 1/13)
CNN:
Fact Check: Trump Falsely Claims To Have 'Saved' Pre-Existing Conditions Protections
The White House defended Trump's actions, saying in a statement: "President Trump has repeatedly stated his commitment to protect individuals with pre-existing conditions and his track record shows that he has consistently done what is necessary to improve care for the vulnerable by opening affordable options for those who were priced out of the market by Obamacare, combating the opioid epidemic, protecting and improving Medicare, enacting Right-to-Try, advancing kidney health, approving more generic drugs than ever before, committing to end HIV/AIDs within 10 years, and much more. (Luhby, 1/13)
MSNBC:
Freshman Dem Debunks Trump Claim About Pre-Existing Conditions
Freshman Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-IL) tells Lawrence O’Donnell that President Trump is making “empty promises” about protecting people with pre-existing conditions while promoting legislation to take away health care coverage for millions of Americans. (1/13)
