President Trump on Wednesday accused Democrats of being unwilling to work with Republicans to fix issues with Obamacare’s exchanges.
“We are having no help, it’s only obstruction from the Democrats,” Trump said in a speech in Cincinnati. “The Democrats are destroying healthcare in this country. We have had no help. We will get no votes.”
Trump met with several people who had seen their premiums and deductibles rise under Obamacare. The healthcare law signed by former President Barack Obama created requirements for coverage and protections for people with pre-existing illnesses, which contributed to rising costs.
States are facing difficulties with the plans they sell on the exchanges, through both rising premiums and fleeing insurers, for a variety of reasons. Insurers are awaiting details of an Obamacare repeal and replacement bill from Republicans and are looking for confirmation as to whether the Trump administration will enforce the healthcare law and pay out cost-sharing reduction subsidies, which allow them to reduce out-of-pocket medical expenses for customers.
Insurers also have said that they are fleeing because they have lost millions of dollars from selling plans on the exchanges, where not enough young, healthy people have signed up to balance the risk pool.
Trump blamed the “Obamacare catastrophe” on congressional Democrats.
“Obamacare is in a total death spiral,” he said. “And the problems will only get worse if Congress fails to act. Obamacare is dead; I’ve been saying that for a long time.”
Democrats have said that they are open to fixes to the law but will not work to repeal it, leaving Republicans to work with a budget tool called reconciliation that will require 51 votes to pass, instead of the 60 needed to break a filibuster.
“If we gave you the greatest plan in the history of the world you would have no Democratic vote,” Trump said. “It’s all going to be Republicans or bust and the Republicans are working very, very hard on getting a great healthcare plan.”
The House in May narrowly passed its version of a bill, called the American Health Care Act, and the Senate is working out the details of its own bill.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said that he believes the Senate will vote on a bill “in the near” future, though various other senators have expressed doubt over passage this year.
