Office of the Press Secretary FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 10, 2019 EXPOSING CONGRESSIONAL DEMOCRATS’ COMPLETE GOVERNMENT TAKEOVER OF OUR HEALTHCARE   “We oppose efforts from Democrats to raid Medicare to fund socialism, robbing seniors of their benefits.” – President Donald J. Trump   RADICAL GOVERNMENT TAKEOVER: "Medicare for All" is a total government takeover of healthcare that will end private insurance as we know it, hurt seniors, and cripple our economy. Democrats are pushing to end private insurance as we know it, rob Americans of any choice in their own care, and put the wellbeing of patients in the hands of Washington bureaucrats. Their government takeover of healthcare would force the nearly 180 million Americans with private health insurance into government-run plans.   Americans would face the threat of losing their doctor and any choice in their own care.  Even the proposals that keep private insurance save it for only a wealthy few.  Congressional Democrats’ government takeover of healthcare will divert resources away from seniors who have paid into the system their whole lives. As seen in European single-payer systems, this radical proposal will likely lead to less care for seniors, hospital closures, fewer doctors, and long wait times.    Twenty million seniors would lose their Medicare Advantage Plans. American families would face massive tax hikes to pay for the extreme $32 trillion price tag of this plan. According to the Council of Economic Advisers (CEA), these tax increases would lower household incomes by $17,000 annually after taxes and healthcare expenditures.  LESSONS FROM THE OBAMACARE DISASTER: Congressional Democrats lied to the American people about healthcare once, and they are doing it again.  Democrats told Americans they could keep their plan, keep their doctor, and would see large savings in premiums. Those all proved to be lies. 4.7 million Americans were told their plans were going to be canceled in the first year of Obamacare. Even President Obama admitted families would have to “make choices” to keep their doctors. Obamacare has burdened American families with devastating premium increases. Average individual market premiums more than doubled from 2013 to 2017. Average premiums on the Federal exchange rose by $2,600 from 2016 to 2017 alone. Taxpayers are spending more than $50 billion a year on premium subsidies and individual market enrollment has increased by only about 3 million people from pre-Obamacare levels. REAL SOLUTIONS FOR AMERICAN PATIENTS: President Trump and his Administration have taken action to help ensure Americans have access to affordable, quality care and lower healthcare costs.   President Trump expanded health coverage options through short-term, limited-duration plans, which are far cheaper than Obamacare plans. The Administration is working to expand association health plans to make it more affordable for small businesses and the self-employed to access options enjoyed by larger employers. The President repealed the individual mandate penalty that burdened low income households. President Trump took action to lower drug prices, and the results are already showing, with prescription drug prices falling in 2018 for the first time in 46 years. The Food and Drug Administration approved record numbers of generic drugs in 2017 and 2018, saving Americans $26 billion in just the first year and a half of the Administration. ##