Getty President Donald Trump.
President Donald Trump revealed in an August 7 press conference that he plans to use an executive order to require all health insurance companies in the United States to cover all preexisting conditions, something already allowed under the Affordable Care Act is administration is battling in court.
Trump said he would be “pursuing” the action would come “over the next two weeks.” The comments came in the middle of a news conference that the president held after Republicans and Democrats failed to reach an agreement over a second stimulus relief plan. The president also discussed his plans for other measures relating to the stimulus plan, such as his desire to extend extra unemployment benefits.
However, then he dropped the news that he is planning the preexisting condition executive order.
“Over the next two weeks, I’ll be pursuing a major executive order requiring health insurance companies to cover all preexisting conditions for all customers,” Trump said in the press conference, which you can watch below. “That’s a big thing I’ve always been very strongly in favor. We have to cover preexisting conditions. So we will be pursuing a major executive order requiring health insurance companies to cover all preexisting conditions for all of its customers.”
CBS News noted that Trump’s administration “has joined a suit to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, which is supposed to protect Americans with preexisting conditions.” Axios also reported: “The Affordable Care Act already requires insurers to cover pre-existing conditions. The Trump administration is currently arguing in a case before the Supreme Court to strike down that very law — including its pre-existing condition protections…It has been done before — in the exact law Trump is trying to overturn.” The Hill reported that overturning the Affordable Care Act would “take away health insurance coverage for about 20 million people.”
It’s unclear whether Trump has legal authority to use executive orders to do some of the things he’s planning. He said he was planning executive orders by the end of the week for some of the measures relating to the second COVID-19 stimulus relief plan. He predicted he will get sued.
Here’s what you need to know:
Trump Says ‘This Has Never Been Done Before’ But His Administration Is Trying to Dismantle the Affordable Care Act
The president stressed the novelty of the plan. “This has never been done before, but it’s time the people of our country are properly represented and properly taken care of,” he said. “This follows a series of executive orders to lower drug prices and lower prescription drug prices and significantly.”
He then spent a great deal of time in the press conference discussing prescription drug prices. “We had the only year, which was last year, where
drug prices went down in 51 years,” said Trump.
He said the drug companies are “running very big ads on me. They’re not too happy.” Trump also discussed his administration’s efforts to combat the opioid epidemic.
Trump Also Discussed Elements of the Second Stimulus Plan
GettyUnemployment benefits for COVID-19 could be extended.
It’s believed that Trump is planning to also use executive orders to push through elements of the stalled second stimulus relief plan.
“My administration continues to work in good faith to reach an agreement with Democrats in Congress to extend unemployment benefits, provide protections against evictions…tragically Nancy Pelosi and chuck Schumer continue to exist with radical leftwing policies that have nothing to do with the China virus,” said Trump.
If the Democrats don’t agree to a compromise, said Trump, “I will act under my authority as president to get Americans the relief” they need. He then said he will be “deferring the payroll tax for a period of months to the end of the year, retroactive to July 1.” He said he also plans to “enhance unemployment benefits through the end of the year” and “defer student loan payments and forgive interest until further notice” as well as “extend the eviction moratorium.”
Trump did not mention a second round of stimulus checks in the comments.
Trump also discussed COVID-19, saying that the United States has 5% of the world’s population but has conducted over 25% of the world’s testing. Testing turnaround times have declined, said Trump.
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