Washington, Jan 15 (IANS) US President Donald Trump, on Thursday, unveiled what he called the “Great Healthcare Plan”, a sweeping proposal aimed at sharply reducing prescription drug prices, lowering insurance premiums, and forcing greater transparency on insurers and healthcare providers, while sending government funds directly to individuals rather than corporations.

“I am thrilled to announce my plan to lower healthcare prices for all Americans and truly make healthcare affordable again—we’re doing things that nobody’s ever been able to do, we’re calling it The Great Healthcare Plan,” Trump said.

He framed the proposal as a shift away from insurers and pharmaceutical companies toward patients.

“Instead of putting the needs of big corporations and special interests first, our plan finally puts you first and puts more money in your pocket,” Trump added.

Under the plan, the US government would provide funds directly to individuals to purchase healthcare.

“The government is going to pay the money directly to you. It goes to you, and then you take the money and buy your own healthcare… the big insurance companies lose, and the people of our country win,” Trump said.

A central pillar of the proposal is prescription drug pricing.

Trump said the plan would lock in discounts achieved through a most-favoured-nation pricing approach.

“It’ll bring down drug prices 80 per cent, 90 per cent in some cases,” the President said, adding that prices of many drugs would be “slashed by 300, 400 even 500 per cent starting this month at the Trumprx.gov.”

He said that the policy would reverse decades of higher costs in the United States.

“So instead of Americans paying the highest drug prices in the world, which we have for decades, we will now be paying the lowest cost paid by any other nation,” Trump added.

The President also attacked the Affordable Care Act, saying, “Obamacare was designed to make insurance companies rich. I call it the UNAFFORDABLE Care Act.”

He said his plan would “end this flagrant scam and put extra money straight into the healthcare savings account in your name”.

To reduce premiums, Trump said the plan would stop “government payoffs to big insurance companies”, end “giant kickbacks to insurance brokers and corporate middleman”, and fully fund the Cost Sharing Reduction programme, which he said would cut premiums on popular plans by “an average of 10 to 15 per cent”.

The plan also emphasises accountability and transparency, the President added.

“As the saying goes, sunlight is the best disinfectant,” Trump said, adding that insurers would be required to publish rate and coverage comparisons “in very plain English”, disclose profits, and release data on claim denials and appeals.

Hospitals and insurers accepting Medicare or Medicaid would be required to prominently post prices.

“You are never surprised, and you can easily shop for a better deal or better care,” Trump said.

In a fact sheet accompanying the announcement, the White House said Trump had called on US Congress to enact the plan without delay, describing it as a comprehensive framework to lower drug prices, cut premiums, hold insurers accountable, and maximise price transparency.

–IANS

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