President Trump said Wednesday that he believed differences on healthcare between Republicans and Democrats could help bolster the party into a “red wave” for the midterm elections.
“And they’re such opposites in a sense,” Trump told the Hill of Democrats. “Like, if you take insurance they want single payer, which can’t be afforded, and we want really great healthcare where people get a great price. You know, really great stuff where people get a great price.”
Republicans have continued to rally around repealing and replacing the current healthcare law, known as the Affordable Care Act or Obamacare, but haven’t had enough votes to pass a bill.
[Also read: Most insurers not nervous about ending Obamacare mandate]
At the same time, a growing number of Democrats have been backing a bill introduced by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., called the Medicare for All Act. It would roll all people in the U.S. under Medicare, a program that currently covers adults 65 and older and people with disabilities. One estimate shows it would increase federal spending by $32.6 trillion over a decade, which is less than what overall spending on healthcare would be under the current system.
But the study also assumes certain rates that would require doctors and hospitals to take in less than they do now under current insurance. Congress would need to raise taxes in order to make rates more in line with where they are now.
Trump went on to say that the parties were different on a range of issues, and boasted about economic outcomes achieved under his presidency, calling it “the greatest economy in history.” He also drew attention to his White House physical, in which his physician, Dr. Ronny Jackson, concluded he was healthy and did not have mental deterioration.
Jackson had been appointed by Trump to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs, but withdrew when allegations surfaced that he had not judiciously dispensed medication and that he drank on the job. Jackson denied the rumors.
