STOPPED IT FROM COMING IN.
LET'S BRING IN FOX NEWS MEDICAL
CORRESPONDENT DR. MARC SIEGEL
ALL SO DR. WHAT IS THE PRESIDENT
'S HEALTH PLAN EXACTLY
AND WILL IT WORK?
>> WELL DAVID, IT'S PIECE BY
PIECE.
IT'S NOT ONE WHOLE PLAN BUT I'LL
TELL YOU SOMETHING HE ENDED WITH
THE WORDS MEDICARE ADVANTAGE IN
THE CLIP.
MEDICARE ADVANTAGE IS HUGE.
IT'S EXPANDING, YOU'RE SEEING
1,200 MORE CHOICES ON MEDICARE
ADVANTAGE THIS YEAR ALONE, AND
DECREASING PREMIUM MEDICARE
ADVANTAGE 28%, SINCE 2017.
COSTING LESS, MORE OPTIONS, YOU
GOT TO LIKE THAT AND FOR SENIORS
, MORE PRICE TRANSPARENCY
, LESS SURPRISE
BILLS AND MORE CHOICE SO THAT'S
THE PRIVATIZATION OF MEDICARE.
THAT'S ACTUALLY BEEN EXTREMELY
POPULAR AND HAS BEEN MAKING
MONEY FOR EVERYONE AND SAVING
SENIORS MONEY.
I LIKE THAT HE SAID THAT AND BY
THE WAY I CAN NOT RESIST AN
OPPORTUNITY HERE TO SAY THAT
MEDICARE FOR ALL IS NOT EVEN
MEDICARE, BECAUSE WHEN YOU GO TO
EXTEND MEDICARE ACROSS THE
COUNTRY TO EVERYONE, AND YOU
KNOCKOUT THE EMPLOYER-BASED
HEALTHCARE SYSTEM, YOU'RE
TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING THAT
ENDS UP BEING SO HIGHLY
REGULATED AND RESTRICTED THAT
IT'S MORE LIKE MEDICAID THAN
MEDICARE.
IT'S NOT GOING TO BE THE
MEDICARE THAT SENIORS NO.
DAVID: JONATHAN?
>> THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US
DOCTOR.
AREN'T THE REPUBLICANS A LITTLE
BIT HYPOCRITICAL HERE?
IF MEDICARE IS GOOD IF THE
PRESIDENT IS FIGHTING TO SAVE
MEDICARE, THEN TO PLAY DEVILS
ADVOCATE WHY NOT MEDICARE FOR
ALL, WHICH IS WHAT ALL OF THE
DEMOCRATS ARE ADVOCATING FOR AND
THE REPUBLICANS SAY THEY LOVE
MEDICARE SO MEDICARE IS GREAT,
WHY NOT MEDICARE FOR ALL?
>> JONATHAN I THINK THE ANSWER
IS THAT THE MEDICARE HE'S TRYING
TO SAVE IS THE ONE WITH AGAIN,
MORE PRIVATE OPTIONS, A LARGER
MEDICARE ADVANTAGE, MORE AND
MORE EXPANDED MEDICARE ADVANTAGE
MEDICARE PART D, WHICH WASN'T
POPULAR WHEN IT WAS FIRST PASSED
UNDER THE BUSH YEARS, ACTUALLY,
IT HAS GONE DOWN IN COST AS WELL
, MORE OPTIONS WITH PART D,
MORE PRIVATIZATION OF PART D,
MORE CHOICES AND DRUG PRICES.
DRUG PRICES COMING DOWN.
AGAIN, IT'S PIECE BY PIECE HERE,
AND EVERY PIECE I LIKE.
THE PRICE TRANSPARENCIES PIECE,
THE CHOICES PIECE, THE NO
SURPRISE BILL PIECE, SO IT'S NOT
THAT HE'S EXTENDING THE MEDICARE
AS YOU KNOW IT.
IT'S CHANGING MEDICARE INTO
SOMETHING THAT'S MORE WORKABLE
AND LET'S NOT FORGET THE MOST
IMPORTANT PIECE OF ALL, ME AS A
PRACTICING PHYSICIAN MEDICARE
PAYS ME LESS.
MEDICARE FOR ALL WILL PAY ME 40%
LESS, NOT TO MENTION WHAT IT
WILL DO FOR HOSPITALS WHO ARE
ALREADY USED TO EATING IT ON
MEDICARE AND GETTING LESS MONEY,
IF THEY LOSE PRIVATIZATION,
PRIVATE HEALTH INSURANCE, SOME
OF THEM ARE GOING TO GO BELLY UP
>> DOCTOR I THINK THAT'S THE
KEY POINT THAT YOU JUST MADE.
PEOPLE I SAY OH, MEDICARE IS
CHEAPER THAN PRIVATE INSURANCE,
THAT'S BECAUSE PRIVATE INSURANCE
SUBSIDIZES MEDICARE IF YOU GET
RID OF THE PRIVATE INSURANCE
THEN THERE'S NOBODY TO SUBSIDIZE
THE COST OF MEDICARE, BUT I
THINK THAT YOU MADE A REALLY
IMPORTANT POINT, THAT FOR ALL OF
THE IDEA THAT TRUMP ISN'T DOING
ANYTHING ABOUT HEALTH CARE COST
THAT'S WRONG.
HE HAS ALL OF THESE PROGRAMS
THAT GIVE PEOPLE MORE CHOICES,
ALLOW PEOPLE TO OPT OUT OF
OBAMACARE, AND IT SOUNDS LIKE
WHAT YOU'RE DESCRIBING IS VERY
MUCH AN EXTENSION OF THAT, OF
LET PEOPLE HAVE OTHER OPTIONS TO
REDUCE COST.
>> I THINK ALSO, CAN I JUST
WEIGH IN?
I AGREE THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT
POLITICAL ISSUES HERE, RIGHT?
THIS IS PROBABLY THE NUMBER ONE
ISSUE, HEALTHCARE COMING IN IN
TERMS OF POLICY, FOR 2020.
I JUST THINK THAT THIS IS AN
INCREDIBLY BRILLIANT PIECE
BECAUSE TRUMP IS GOING TO RUN
AGAINST SOCIALISM.
WHAT IS MORE SOCIALISTIC THAN
MEDICARE FOR ALL?
AND AS HE STARTS TALKING ABOUT
MEDICARE BEING UNDER THREAT FROM
THAT, I THINK ALL OF THOSE OLDER
VOTERS WHO BY THE WAY ALREADY
VOTE REPUBLICAN GENERALLY
SPEAKING, THEY ARE GOING TO BE
INCENTIVIZED TO COME TO THE POLL
S.
THIS IS, I MEAN, I HATE TO SAY
IT BUT NOTHING IS GOING TO BE
DONE NOW THAT DOES NOT, WE DON'T
TALK ABOUT THROUGH THE PRISM OF
THE 2020 ELECTION AND I THINK
WHAT YOU SAID IS ABSOLUTELY
RIGHT.
THE MORE YOU CAN DRAW CONTRAST
BETWEEN MEDICARE AND MEDICAID
AND ALL THAT.
>> AND LET'S NOT FORGET THE
MONEY IS COMING OUT OF THE
TAXPAYER POCKET, $30 TRILLION IN
TRANSITION FEE, START ASKING A
WORKING CLASS PERSON ABOUT THAT,
WHETHER THEY WANT THAT, AND THEN
THE MEDICARE THAT THE SENIOR HAS
, AND DOESN'T END UP BEING
THE MEDICARE THEY END UP WITH
AND I FORGOT TO MENTION, GENERIC
DRUGS BEING APPROVED AT AN
UNPRECEDENTED RATE WHICH IS
FINALLY FLATTENING OUT
PRESCRIPTION DRUG PRICES.
>> THE PRESIDENT SUPPORTS
GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS IN FLORIDA
IN TERMS OF IMPORTING DRUGS FROM
CANADA BECAUSE THEY ARE CHEAPER.
DO YOU SUPPORT THAT AS WELL?
>> I DO SUPPORT THAT BUT I LIKE
BETTER AND I'VE SAID IT HERE ON
THIS PROGRAM, I LIKE BETTER THE
IDEA OF EXPORT TAXES.
I DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO PLAY
CATCHUP, BECAUSE THE PROBLEMLY
IS WE CAN'T VOUCH FOR THE
QUALITY.
AND WE'RE ALREADY HAVING
PROBLEMS WITH CONTAMINATES
GETTING INTO PRESCRIPTION DRUGS
COMING IN FROM OTHER COUNTRIES
WHERE WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT
THAT ALL WEEK WITH ZANTAC, AND
THE BLOOD PRESSURE MEDICINES I
USE.
I LIKE BETTER EXPORT TAXES TO
PREVENT THE DRUGS, TO PREVENT
COUNTRIES FROM GOUGING US IN THE
FIRST PLACE.
HAVING SAID THAT IF WE CAN'T GET
THERE, I THINK WITH EHAVE TO DO
SOMETHING TO EVEN THE PLAYING
FIELD.
>> BUT THAT'S BEING ENCOMPASSED
IN THE U.S. MCA THEN?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
IS THAT?
>> ABSOLUTELY AND I BELIEVE IT
WOULD BE ACROSS-THE-BOARD, WITH
PRIVATE INSURANCE AS WELL.
I DON'T THINK IT HAS TO BE ONLY
MEDICARE.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE ALWAYS
FORGET IS WHEN WE TALK ABOUT
NEGOTIATING WE'RE ONLY TALKING
ABOUT MEDICARE AND OF COURSE
MEDICARE NEGOTIATING
ACROSS-THE-BOARD IS GOING TO
DECREASE QUALITY AND WE'LL LOSE
INNOVATION THAT WAY SO I'M NOT
SUPPORTING MEDICARE NEGOTIATING
ALL DRUG PRICES.
DAVID: JONATHAN?
>> DOCTOR, THE PRESIDENT ALSO
MADE A BIG POINT OF EMPHASIZING
THAT REPUBLICANS WILL PROTECT
INDIVIDUAL'S RIGHT TO HAVE
HEALTHCARE EVEN WITH A PRE-
EXISTING CONDITION.
PREVIOUSLY ONLY DEMOCRATS HAD
TALKED ABOUT THAT.
DO YOU SEE ANY UNFORESEEN
CONSEQUENCES, DOESN'T THAT
ESSENTIALLY CONSTITUTIONALIZE
HEALTHCARE AS A RIGHT, IF ANYONE
CAN GET A HEALTH INSURANCE EVEN
WITH A PRE-EXISTING CONDITION?
>> JONATHAN I THINK THE
PRESIDENT HAS BEEN PRETTY
CONNELL: ON THIS.
I THINK HE'S ALWAYS BACKED, WELL
FOR THE MOST PART BACKED
PREEXISTING CONDITIONS BUT LET
ME REMIND YOU THERE'S ANOTHER
WAY TO DO THIS OTHER THAN MAKING
EVERYBODY BUY INTO OBAMACARE,
ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL.
THAT'S THAT THEORY THAT IN OTHER
WORDS IF YOU LIVE IN THE DESERT
YOU HAVE TO PAY THE SAME FOR
FLOOD INSURANCE AS IF YOU LIVE
ON THE COAST.
I DON'T BELIEVE TAX I'M A PERSON
THAT BELIEVES IF YOU HAVE A
CHEVY WE WANT YOU IN THE POLL
BUT WE DON'T WANT YOU PAYING A
FERRARI RATE.
HERE IS WHAT I'M SAYING.
DAVID: GOOD ANALOGY.
>> LET ME TRANSLATE THAT, DAVID
LOVES ANALOGIES AND METAPHORES.
LET ME TRANSLATE THAT INTO
HEALTHCARE TERMS.
IT MEANS HIGH RISK POOLS AND
INSTEAD OF SUBSIDIZING A
ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL INSURANCE, LET
THE GOVERNMENT PAY FOR PEOPLE
WHO CAN'T AFFORD INSURANCE, GIVE
THEM SOME POLICY, AND REINVENT
HIGH RISK POOLS THIS TIME,
PROPERLY FUNDED.
DAVID: I'VE GOT TO ASK STEVE A
QUESTION BECAUSE THE PRESIDENT
WAS CLEAR TODAY HE MADE A CASE
TO THE PEOPLE OUT THERE, TO THE
VOTERS SAYING LOOK, IT SOUNDS
NICE TO HAVE ALL OF THIS FREE
STUFF, WHETHER IT'S MEDICARE FOR
ALL, OR STUDENT LOAN DEBT
EXCUSED OR WHATEVER IT IS, BUT
IT JUST CAN'T HAPPEN.
THERE AREN'T ENOUGH TAXES TO PAY
FOR HOW MUCH THAT WOULD COST.
YOU JUST YOU'D HAVE TO TAX
EVERYBODY 100% IN ORDER TO PAY
FOR IT ALL.
DO YOU THINK THAT MESSAGE WILL
GET THROUGH?
I KNOW IT GOT THROUGH TO THE
SENIORS HE WAS TALKING TO.
WILL IT BE THROUGH THE MAJORITY
VOTERS?
>> AND LIZ IS RIGHT.
DEMOCRATS UNDERSTAND THAT THIS
ISSUE OF MEDICARE FOR ALL IS
AROUND THEIR NECK AND IT'S NOT
GOING TO WORK POLITICALLY AND
DAVID, THE DOCTOR GETS AN A IN
ECONOMICS TODAY.
YOU'RE FANTASTIC ON THIS STUFF.
YOU GOT IT PERFECTLY RIGHT.
DAVID: ALL RIGHT >> I WANT TO
END BY SAYING THAT THE PONY
EXPRESS IS NOT FEDERAL EXPRESS.
>> [LAUGHTER]