Paul and Trump Might Be Teaming Up to Make Healthcare Affordable Again
The senator says he knows he and the president have 'been at odds recently' but maybe not for long. #53
Screenshot/YouTube
Rand Paul texted Donald Trump last week.
How do we know this? Because President Trump shared it:
In honor of Rand Paul and Trump getting the band back together, were offering 20% off group subscriptions forever!
A Text to Trump
Sen. Paul wrote, “I know we have been at odds recently but in ur first term you signed an executive order to legalize Association Health Plans (that allow individuals to buy collectively health insurance via Costco, Amazon, or Sam’s Club).”
“This collaboration brought us together and still holds the promise of lowering insurance premiums,” the senator added.
Paul was talking about his teaming with Trump eight years ago in which the president signed an executive order implementing this plan.
So what happened? Why didn’t some get healthcare cost relief then?
Democrats. Of course.
Paul noted the plan failed, “because Democrat AGs fought it in court, but it could now pass through Congress.”
“Let me know if this is something you might want to partner on,” Paul finished.
Trump sharing the text seems to indicate that he’s at least interested in entertaining the idea.
Sen. Paul has been beating the drum for this all over media for months now.
How Would the Plan Lower Costs?
The senator was right to note that President Trump and he came together once on this idea as a reminder, which was considered a win by the White House at the time.
Paul described how his legislation would work in December 2nd op-ed at Newsweek (emphasis added):
My health care plan, called the Health Marketplace and Savings Accounts For All Act, which I will introduce this week, does two things and costs the taxpayers nothing.
First, my plan legalizes the ability for any group to purchase insurance collectively and operate across state lines. My plan would make it legal for Costco, Sam’s Club, or Amazon to bargain for their millions of members as a single entity, thereby driving prices down. These collectives could be bigger than any corporation in America and have the size and leverage to drive health premiums down. In fact, once these co-ops are legalized, the individual market likely melts away, and everyone in America would gain the benefits that normally accrue to the group market.
Paul also noted what makes his idea different, “My plan is the only plan being offered that would drive prices down.”
“All other plans, such as the Democrat plan to continue the add-on subsidies to the original Obamacare subsidies, will continue to drive up health insurance premiums,” he added. “All Republican variations of these plans only vary in their cost to the taxpayer.”
The goal: To make healthcare affordable for everyday Americans and their families.
US healthcare shouldn’t cost the equivalent of a new car:
A Potential Paul-Trump Tag Team Again?
Paul texting the president and Trump sharing his message are notable for three important reasons:
First, and right off the bat, Sen. Paul acknowledges that he and Trump have publicly “been at odds recently.” Yet despite this, Paul is eager to work on this particular issue that each of them had already partnered on in the president’s first term. Paul’s desire to implement sound healthcare policy appears more important to him than bickering.
Second, President Trump, who has been harsh against Paul as of late, shared the message, possibly signaling that he too might be interested in better healthcare for Americans that any tit-for-tat with the senator.
Three, and most importantly, this idea really could lower healthcare costs for millions of Americans and this senator and this president and in positions where they could really do some significant good on this front.
If Trump likes anything, it’s winning, and this could be a big win for his administration.
And deal or not, this is precisely how the dealmaking works.
Sen. Paul said in early December, “President Trump and I worked on this before, and I’m ready to work with him again to fix our broken system.”
Rand Paul opened the door. Donald Trump seems like he might be willing to walk through it.
Let’s hope he does. For the sake of all Americans, their health, and their wallets.
Unless they eliminate health insurance completely, there is no chance that they will return sanity to medicine. I think there is no chance that they can do this, because the people are so brainwashed to think that only government can help them.
I hope this becomes reality so many need this.