Donald Trump told the Washington Post that under his healthcare plan, "We're going to have insurance for everybody," but declined to reveal details of how that will be accomplished.
Robert Costa reported that in a Saturday night interview, the president-elect said that he will unveil his plan soon with the help of Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Speaker of the House Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI).
“The Congress can’t get cold feet because the people will not let that happen,” Trump said.
Promising "lower numbers, lower deductible," Trump was shy with the details about how he plans to widen coverage but lower costs simultaneously.
“It’s very much formulated down to the final strokes. We haven’t put it in quite yet but we’re going to be doing it soon,” he said. He indicated that he is waiting for his nominee for secretary of health and human services Rep. Tom Price (R-GA) to be confirmed.
Congressional Republicans voted last week to overturn Pres. Barack Obama's signature legislation the Affordable Care Act (ACA) -- also known as "Obamacare" -- in spite of the fact that they have no immediate replacement plan to account for the millions of Americans who will lose their health coverage.
Trump says there's nothing to worry about.
“I think we will get approval. I won’t tell you how, but we will get approval," he assured Costa.
People who rely on the ACA for health coverage, Trump said, "can expect to have great health care. It will be in a much simplified form. Much less expensive and much better.”
“It’s not going to be their [ACA] plan,” he said. “It’ll be another plan. But they’ll be beautifully covered. I don’t want single-payer. What I do want is to be able to take care of people.”
Trump also said that he does not intend to cut Medicare, which was echoed by Reince Priebus -- the new administration's chief of staff -- on Sunday.
When Costa pressed Trump about potential turbulence and instability in financial markets that could result from his policies, the incoming president was sanguine.
“Stock drops and America goes up,” he said. “I don’t care. I want to do it right or not at all.”
