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President Trump Speaks on Expanding Health Coverage Options for Small Businesses & Workers - YouTube
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[0]
(applause)
[3]
Audience Member:
Happy Birthday,
[3]
Mr. President!
[5]
(applause)
[6]
The President: Thank you.
[7]
Audience Member: Happy
Birthday, Mr. President!
[14]
The President: Beautiful.
[16]
Wow.
[17]
Audience: (Sings
"Happy Birthday." )
[29]
(applause)
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The President: Thank you.
[34]
Very nice.
[34]
Wow.
[36]
That's - that is
very, very nice.
[38]
Please.
[41]
You must like what I'm
about to say, I think.
[43]
(laughter)
[44]
And we all like
what we're about to say.
[46]
We worked very hard on it.
[48]
And thank you all for
joining us on this
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magnificent day in
the Rose Garden.
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A special place.
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We're here to announce
the latest historic action
[56]
that we're taking to help
millions of Americans
[59]
receive high-quality and
very affordable healthcare
[63]
- something so important.
[65]
And we've been working
on it long and hard.
[68]
A certain group, right
on these first few rows,
[72]
they've been working
very long and very hard.
[73]
And I want to thank you.
[74]
We're delighted to be
joined today by Vice
[77]
President Mike Pence.
[78]
Mike, thank you very much.
[79]
(applause)
[82]
Thank you.
[84]
In addition, I want to
express my gratitude
[87]
to Secretary
Steven Mnuchin.
[89]
Steve, thank
you very much.
[90]
(applause)
[94]
Alex Acosta.
[96]
Secretary.
[97]
(applause)
[102]
Thank you.
[102]
A man who has been working
very hard for this day:
[104]
Secretary Alex Azar.
[106]
Thank you, Alex.
[107]
(applause)
[113]
And also with us are
Acting Administrator
[116]
of the Small
Business Administration
[118]
Chris Pilkerton.
[120]
And - where's Chris?
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Chris?
[121]
Good.
[122]
Chris, hi.
[123]
(applause)
[123]
Congratulations, by the way.
[125]
Congratulations.
[127]
You liking it?
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I hope you're liking it.
[129]
Huh?
[129]
I hear you are.
[131]
And Treasurer of
the United States
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Jovita Carranza.
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Thank you, Jovita.
[135]
(applause)
[136]
Thank
you very much.
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And I want to extend
a special welcome
[143]
to the many small business
owners who are here.
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We have a lot of them
in the - in our midst.
[147]
And thank you very much.
[149]
This is a big advantage
for you and something
[151]
where you can take care
a lot of - a lot of great
[153]
people are going to
be taken care of.
[155]
So, thank you all
for being here.
[157]
Thank you very much.
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Small business optimism
is soaring in our very
[161]
booming and big economy.
[163]
And today, we give you
even more reason for your
[166]
confidence in the future.
[168]
Two years ago, in October
of 2017, I signed an
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executive order to
increase healthcare choice
[174]
and competition all
across our nation.
[177]
Since that time, my
administration has worked
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tirelessly to expand
options and drive down
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the cost of healthcare
for the American people.
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We took swift action to
open short-term health
[189]
plans and association
health plans to millions
[193]
and millions of Americans.
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Many of these options are
already reducing
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the cost of health
insurance premiums by
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up to 60 percent and,
really, more than that.
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We also have launched a
new initiative to bring
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down the price of
prescription drugs.
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We are holding Big
Pharma accountable.
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And, I must say, Big
Pharma has also been
[216]
working with us to try
and get prices down.
[219]
And if we had support
with the Democrats, I
[223]
must say, we could get
it down even more.
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We've reduced prices
now by a - quite a bit.
[230]
And this year is the first
year, Alex Acosta - right?
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- in 54 years - 53 years
that drugs prices have
[238]
come down.
[240]
And I want to congratulate
you and all the people
[242]
that have worked
so hard with you.
[244]
(applause)
[245]
That's really
an incredible thing.
[246]
First year.
[248]
And we could get them down
a lot more if we had
[250]
a little support
in Congress.
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And I think we'll
get that support.
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I think that has to be -
that has to be a joint.
[257]
If that's not going to be
bilateral, we're going
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to get that done, and I
think we're going to get
[263]
it done quickly.
[264]
We're going to get
a lot of support.
[265]
I've spoken to Democrats,
and they are in support
[267]
of it.
[268]
We have to see if we can
actually get them to raise
[270]
their hand.
[272]
If they do that, we're
going to see some
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tremendous cuts
in drug prices.
[275]
So thank you
very much, Alex.
[277]
We've asked Congress to
support a new research
[279]
initiative to find a
breakthrough cure for
[282]
childhood cancers.
[285]
And we've begun a public
health campaign to
[287]
eradicate AIDS in
America once and for all.
[290]
And that's really taking
place like nobody
[292]
would believe.
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We're looking at
a 10-year plan.
[295]
And at the end of 10
years, we're going to be
[297]
in very good shape.
[298]
Who would've thought that
was possible even just
[299]
a short time ago?
[301]
And we're making dramatic
strides in combatting the
[304]
opioid epidemic.
[306]
We have it down by a
period of almost -
[309]
a number of almost 17
percent this year.
[312]
And when I heard it,
I thought they made
[314]
a mistake.
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I said, "You are not real.
[317]
That's not a real number."
[319]
And it is very
much a real number.
[320]
So, Kellyanne and all
of the people that have
[322]
worked on that, that's a
tremendous achievement.
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And we've worked with the
medical profession and
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with doctors and with
everybody, and to think
[332]
that it's 17 percent
in one year - that's a
[334]
tremendous achievement.
[336]
Thank you very much.
[337]
(applause)
[342]
And we're now
working with Congress to
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pass legislation that ends
surprise medical billing.
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And we're going to have
another big announcement
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in two weeks, unrelated
but something that's going
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to have a profound effect
on the things that we're
[357]
talking about and have
been talking about
[359]
over the last two
and a half years.
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It's going to be something
really incredible.
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That'll take place over
the next two weeks.
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That'll be a very
big announcement.
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Nobody knows what it is.
[369]
It's going to be a big
surprise, but it's going
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to be a very pleasant one.
[372]
No American should be
blindsided by bills for
[376]
medical services
they never agreed
[378]
to in advance.
[380]
We're promoting price
transparency to force
[383]
competition and
drive down cost.
[385]
And that's what's
happening, and that's
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one of the reasons we're
getting the drug prices -
[390]
stopping from those
tremendous increases
[392]
that have taken effect
for so many years.
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For so many decades,
they've been going only
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in one direction: up.
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And now we have
them breaking even
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and going down.
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We're defending Medicare
and Social Security
[405]
for our great seniors.
[406]
We're eliminated -
and we have eliminated
[409]
Obamacare's deeply
unpopular individual
[412]
mandate penalty.
[415]
And you know how
bad that was.
[416]
(applause)
[423]
Think of it:
You paid a tremendous
[424]
amount of money for the
privilege of paying so
[427]
that you don't have to
pay for bad insurance.
[430]
Okay?
[431]
How bad does that get?
[432]
That's got to be a first.
[433]
Nobody has ever
heard of that one.
[434]
But we eliminated it.
[436]
It's gone.
[437]
So you're saving a lot
of money, and it's
[439]
a terrific thing.
[440]
And we will always
protect patients with
[443]
preexisting conditions.
[446]
Always.
[446]
(applause)
[448]
We're always
going to protect
[449]
the patients.
[450]
Preexisting conditions.
[454]
And today I'm pleased
to announce another
[456]
groundbreaking action.
[457]
We are dramatically
increasing the ability
[459]
of Americans to access
more affordable health
[462]
insurance through
options and through
[465]
their employers.
[467]
We're doing so by
expanding Health
[469]
Reimbursement
Arrangements, or HRAs,
[473]
as they are commonly known.
[474]
HRAs will allow American
workers to shop for the
[479]
plan that's right for them
and their family,
[482]
and have their employer
cover the cost.
[485]
And it's a reasonable
cost, and people are going
[487]
to be getting
tremendous benefits.
[490]
This will be possible
because HRAs will now
[493]
receive the same tax
treatment that other
[498]
employer-provided health
plans have always enjoyed.
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There was a lot of
restrictions, and it was
[504]
impossible until now.
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This is something that
its time has come.
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It's popular.
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It's really, really
been a success.
[513]
And I think this is going
to be - for many people,
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this will be the
way of the future.
[518]
The previous
administration imposed
[520]
crushing fines and other
penalties on HRAs to
[523]
prevent employees from
selecting the plan
[527]
of their choice.
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It was impossible.
[530]
With today's action, we
are eliminating all of
[532]
those restrictions.
[534]
And thanks to the changes
we're making, an estimated
[537]
11 million Americans will
now choose their own plans
[541]
with the help of the HRAs.
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This will increase
the size -
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(applause)
[546]
- thank you.
[552]
This is a very big deal.
[553]
This will increase the
size of the individual
[556]
market by at least 50
percent, improving choice,
[559]
promoting competition,
and lowering costs
[561]
for the American people.
[563]
HRAs provide another
important option to help
[566]
even more employers offer
great health insurance.
[570]
And the benefits to
the American workers
[572]
will be incredible.
[574]
They will be especially
useful for small
[577]
employers: An estimated 90
percent of the businesses
[581]
that will take
advantage of HRAs
[583]
have fewer than 20 employees.
[587]
This announcement is a
monumental victory for
[591]
small businesses, for
their workers, and
[593]
previously uninsured
Americans who will now
[596]
have access to
high-quality health plans
[598]
of their choice.
[600]
With us today is one of
our nation's wonderful
[603]
small business owners:
Tony [Tom] Kunkel
[607]
from Maryland.
[608]
And I will say -
Tom, you come up.
[612]
Where is Tom?
[613]
Are you up here
someplace, Tom?
[615]
I have not met Tom.
[615]
Oh, you're a handsome guy.
[616]
Come on up here.
[617]
(laughter)
[618]
Tom Kunkel,
would you say a few words
[620]
and let them know what's
just happened to you?
[622]
Please.
[623]
Thank you, Tom.
[624]
(applause)
[625]
Thank you.
[630]
Tom Kunkel: First of all,
I'd like to say "Happy
[631]
Birthday" to
The President.
[633]
The President:
Thank you very much.
[634]
Tom Kunkel: Thank you.
[635]
A lot of people from my
office also wanted to say
[636]
"Happy Birthday."
[637]
The President: Thank you.
[638]
Tom Kunkel: Three years
ago, I actually spoke
[639]
to the U.S. Senate
Small Business
[641]
and Entrepreneurship
Committee about
[644]
reinstating the
Health Reimbursement
[646]
Benefit Program that
had existed previously.
[648]
This was after the Obama
administration had made
[651]
it illegal for our
business to help employees
[654]
with their health
insurance costs.
[656]
At the time, we had been
helping our employees,
[659]
some who had very serious
medical conditions,
[661]
including cancer.
[662]
And after the Obama
ruling we had to stop all
[665]
reimbursements, and
-which caused a great bit
[668]
of hardship for
our employees.
[670]
And several of them I
actually ended up losing
[672]
because they had to
leave us and go to other
[675]
companies that offered
a little better
[677]
health benefits.
[679]
So I want to thank
The President and the
[681]
administration for
supporting this
[683]
new measure and
all of his
[685]
pro-small-business
policies.
[688]
We very much
appreciate it in the
[690]
small-business community.
[692]
So this new rule really
allows small businesses
[694]
to offer a benefit to our
employees that will help
[697]
our employees with
healthcare costs, provide
[700]
more and better options
for them and also
[703]
for employers.
[704]
So, again, thank you
very much, Mr. President.
[706]
(applause)
[711]
The President:
Thank you very much.
[714]
Also, we're joined right
now - Andrea Burns,
[717]
a small business owner
from Pennsylvania.
[719]
Please come up.
[720]
Andrea, please.
[722]
(applause)
[724]
Andrea Burns: Hello.
[724]
The President: Thank you.
[725]
How are you doing?
[725]
Nice to see you.
[726]
Andrea Burns: Happy
birthday.
[727]
The President: Thank you very much.
[729]
Andrea Burns:
Nice to see you.
[729]
The President:
Have a good time.
[730]
Andrea Burns: Hello, my
name is Andrea Burns,
[731]
and I'm a director
at Richard S.
[734]
Burns and Company, a
family-owned and operated
[738]
construction waste
material recovery
[741]
and processing facility
in Philadelphia.
[745]
We employ approximately
100 people.
[749]
And, right now, my brother
and I - Allen - choose
[752]
the healthcare plan for
all of those employees.
[756]
They don't have the
opportunity to choose
[759]
the provider, the coverage,
or the premium.
[765]
This plan - HRAs - would
allow us to give them the
[771]
opportunity to choose the
plan that's best for them.
[775]
Thank you.
[776]
Thank you for
making (inaudible).
[777]
The President:
Thank you, darling.
[779]
Use it well.
[781]
Use it well, Andrea.
[783]
That's - you will.
[784]
Thank you very much.
[786]
And it's going to be
a great - it'll be
[788]
a great difference.
[790]
I've repeatedly called on
Congress to work with us
[792]
to bring down the
cost of healthcare and
[794]
prescription drugs.
[798]
It's all happening.
[799]
Instead, more than 120
Democrats in Congress have
[801]
signed up for the Bernie
Sanders massive government
[805]
takeover of healthcare.
[807]
That's going to hurt
a lot of people.
[809]
It's going to
hurt our country.
[810]
Socialist healthcare would
crush American workers
[813]
with higher taxes,
long wait times,
[816]
and far worse care.
[819]
Their plan would eliminate
Medicare as we know it
[822]
and terminate the private
health insurance of 180
[825]
million Americans and
even more than that now.
[828]
On my watch, we will
never let that happen.
[832]
We will never be a
socialist country.
[834]
(applause)
[847]
We have to
reject the socialist model
[849]
that rations care,
restricts access, slashes
[853]
quality, and forces
patients onto endless
[856]
waitlists.
[857]
Instead, we
believe in freedom.
[859]
We believe in choice.
[860]
We believe in the highest
standard of care in the
[863]
world - anywhere
in the world.
[864]
And we believe that
American families must
[867]
always have the right and
the power to choose the
[870]
very best treatments,
plans, doctors for
[873]
themselves and for
their loved ones.
[875]
They need that freedom.
[878]
They have to have
that freedom.
[879]
And that's exactly what
today's action is
[881]
all about.
[882]
We are putting the people
back in charge with more
[885]
choice, for better care,
at a far lower cost.
[889]
And other people will
not be paying for their
[893]
healthcare.
[895]
We won't be raising taxes.
[897]
We won't be taxing
you into oblivion.
[900]
We won't be raising the
tax rates to 90 percent.
[903]
I've heard 90 percent.
[904]
The only problem with that
one: It doesn't even come
[906]
close to taking care
of the situation.
[909]
So that means you have to
go a lot higher
[911]
than 90 percent.
[912]
I don't think that's going
to work too well
[914]
in this country.
[916]
We've lowered taxes.
[917]
We want to keep them down.
[918]
That's very important.
[919]
(applause)
[927]
And we will not
rest until Americans have
[929]
the healthcare system they
need and deserve, a system
[933]
that finally puts
American patients first.
[936]
I want to thank
everybody for being here.
[938]
It's a very important
day, a very special day.
[940]
God bless you, and
God Bless America.
[943]
Thank you all very much.
[944]
Thank you.
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