President Donald J. Trump is Addressing the Healthcare Issues Left by the Past Administration

WASHINGTON, Aug. 8 -- The White House issued the following fact sheet:

ADDRESSING OBAMACARE'S FAILURES: President Donald J. Trump's efforts to bring back flexibility and affordability to American health insurance are remedying the havoc caused by Obamacare.

* Although President Obama promised to bring insurance premiums down by $2,500 and provide health insurance to all Americans, Obamacare has failed to deliver quality, affordable health insurance to millions.

- Americans are increasingly being priced out of Obamacare's plans. In just the first five years of Obamacare's full implementation, insurance premiums more than doubled.

* Thanks to Obamacare, over 52% of American counties have just one insurer on the exchanges.

* As a direct result of Obamacare, millions of Americans saw their previous insurance plans canceled and many lost access to their favorite doctors.

* In January 2017, President Trump signed an Executive Order instructing Federal agencies to minimize the financial burden of Obamacare experienced by American households.

EXPANDING INSURANCE OPTIONS: President Trump and his Administration are working to provide affordable and flexible health insurance choices to benefit millions of Americans.

* As part of the tax reform package, the Trump Administration eliminated Obamacare's individual mandate and penalty that compelled people to buy more expensive and more comprehensive insurance than they needed.

* On August 1, 2018 the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor, and the Treasury increased options for Americans facing extremely high insurance premiums by releasing a rule allowing for the expansion of short-term, limited-duration health plans.

- The plans are expected to be utilized by millions and be up to 50 to 80 percent cheaper than Obamacare options.

* In June 2018, President Trump's Administration issued a regulation expanding "association health plans" to increase the ability of small employers and self-employed business owners in the same industry or geographic area to join together to purchase health coverage, thereby lowering prices and increasing options.

IMPROVING DRUG AFFORDABILITY AND ACCESS: President Trump is making prescription drugs more affordable and more accessible to the Americans that need them.

* President Trump released a blueprint to lower drug prices by encouraging innovation, promoting competition, and discouraging foreign freeloading.

- President Trump has convinced major pharmaceutical companies including Pfizer, Amgen, and Novartis to keep prices down as changes are being implemented.

* The Food and Drug Administration has expeditiously worked to decrease the time it takes to develop and approve safe and effective drugs, increasing the number of cheaper, more affordable generic drugs available to American patients.

- In 2017, the FDA approved more generic drugs than any year in the agency's history.

* On May 30, 2018, President Trump signed "Right to Try" legislation to expand treatment options for Americans with terminal illnesses.

* Under the President's leadership, Medicare is saving patients $320 million per year on drug spending through a drug discount program for hospitals.

TACKLING DRUG ABUSE: President Trump is taking the fight to the opioid scourge, a crisis faced by American communities across the country.

* In June 2018, President Trump announced his "Campaign to Stop Youth Opioid Abuse," which is a public service campaign to prevent and reduce the misuse of opioids by young Americans.

* President Trump announced his "Initiative to Stop Opioid Abuse and Reduce Drug Supply and Demand" to decrease demand and over-prescription of drugs and to cut off the supply of illicit drugs.

* President Trump signed an omnibus funding bill to provide nearly $4 billion to address the opioid crisis in fiscal year 2018.

* This year, President Trump took steps to reinstate the Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) which was discontinued in 2011.

* In October 2017, the Trump Administration declared the opioid crisis a nationwide Public Health Emergency, shining a light on the epidemic.