WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump bragged about a mission accomplished in veterans’ health care that has not been achieved. He threatened to end health insurers’ “bailouts” that actually help consumers. And he cited “tremendous” costs to taxpayers from providing health services to transgender troops without providing evidence of that expense.
Over a week dominated by internal strife in the administration, a potty-mouthed tirade from the new communications chief and the collapse of health care legislation, policy was aired on a number of fronts as well. Some of it was factually challenged or just plain wrong.
A look at a sampling of statements from last week.
TRUMP: “If a new HealthCare Bill is not approved quickly, BAILOUTS for Insurance Companies and BAILOUTS for Members of Congress will end very soon!” — tweet Saturday.
THE FACTS: If you think of a bailout as an infusion of government money to keep an industry in business, that’s not what is going on here. He’s talking about federal payments to insurance companies that are used to reduce deductibles and co-payments for consumers with modest incomes. Trump has only guaranteed those payments will continue through July.
Analysts have said that without the payments, more insurers might drop out of the system, limiting options for consumers and clearing the way for the insurers that stay to charge more for coverage.
Trump’s threat to end “bailouts” to members of Congress is something of a mystery. What is clear is that he is upset they did not pass the Republican health care bill and wants them to think he will punish them if they don’t get rid of Obamacare.
