Trump: New Health Care Bill Continues Coverage For All Pre-Existing Conditions For Everyone

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CBS's John Dickerson teases details about the latest version of the GOP's health reform package out of President Trump.

Watch Trump's full interview:



Transcript of the entire exchange:

DICKERSON: Let me ask you about health care.

Tucker Carlson interviewed you about six weeks ago, when you were in the middle of health care negotiations. And you agreed with him that the health care bill wasn't going to help your supporters, that those who lived in rural areas, the older were going to get hurt by that bill.

And you told him, you said...

(CROSSTALK)

TRUMP: Excuse me. The health care bill is going to help my supporters.

DICKERSON: Well, hold on. Let me just finish the question, if I may, sir.

TRUMP: Otherwise, I'm not going to sign it. I'm not going to do it.

DICKERSON: Well, this is why I wanted to ask you. You said to Tucker, "We will take care of our people, or I am not signing it."

You said you were going to negotiate.

TRUMP: Well, that's what I just said.

DICKERSON: So, tell me what in the bill you've been negotiating to get...

TRUMP: No, but let me just -- let me tell you.

DICKERSON: ... in that helps your supporters. I'm just trying to get the details of how your people...

TRUMP: Let me just tell you.

DICKERSON: ... will be helped.

TRUMP: Preexisting conditions are in the bill. And I just watched another network than yours, and they were saying, preexisting is not covered.

Preexisting conditions are in the bill. And I mandate it. I said has to be. So, we have -- we're going to have lower premiums. And before you start there, let me just tell you something. Obamacare is dead. Obamacare, right now, all the insurance companies are fleeing. Places like Tennessee have already lost half of their state with the insurance companies. They're all going.

Obamacare, John, is dead, OK, because we're being -- we're being compared to Obamacare. Just so -- Obamacare doesn't work.

DICKERSON: I just want to compare you to your own...

TRUMP: One -- one thing. No, no, it's important. I've got to compare it.

DICKERSON: No, no, but I want to...

(CROSSTALK)

TRUMP: ... saying about Obamacare.

DICKERSON: No, but I'm not. I'm asking about what...

TRUMP: With Obamacare...

DICKERSON: ... you're going to do.

TRUMP: ... the premiums are too high. The deductibles are through the roof, so you never get to use it. But, more importantly, it's dead.

DICKERSON: So -- but, in the bill, as it was analyzed, there were two problems. One -- and you talked about this with Congressman Robert Aderholt, who brought you the example of the 64-year-old, who under Obamacare, the premiums -- the premiums would go up for...

(CROSSTALK)

TRUMP: But that was a long time ago, John. You're talking about a long time...

DICKERSON: But has that been fixed?

TRUMP: Totally fixed.

DICKERSON: How?

TRUMP: How? We've made many changes to the bill. You know, this bill is...

DICKERSON: What kind, though?

TRUMP: ... very much different than it was three weeks ago.

DICKERSON: Help us explain, because there are people...

TRUMP: The bill...

DICKERSON: ... out there who wonder what kind of changes.

TRUMP: Let me explain. Let me explain it to you.

DICKERSON: OK.

TRUMP: This bill is much different than it was a little while ago, OK?

This bill has evolved. And we didn't have a failure on the bill. You know, it was reported like a failure. Now, the one thing I wouldn't have done again is put a timeline. That's why, on the second iteration, I didn't put a timeline.

But we have now preexisting conditions in the bill. We have -- we've set up a pool for the preexisting conditions, so that the premiums can be allowed to fall. We're taking across all of the borders or the lines, so that insurance companies can compete...

DICKERSON: But that's not in...

TRUMP: ... nationwide.

DICKERSON: ... this bill. The borders, it's not in this bill.

TRUMP: Of course it's in.

DICKERSON: It's in that third bill, right, because it's...

TRUMP: It's in the second phase.

DICKERSON: OK.

TRUMP: It's called phase one, phase two.

And that's, in fact, second phase, which will get approved, which will quickly get approved.

DICKERSON: Let me...

TRUMP: But let me just explain something.

There will be such competition. Right now, there's no competition. There will be such competition by insurance companies, so that they can get health care and the people taking care of health care.

DICKERSON: So...

TRUMP: The other thing we're going to have is groups. Groups of people can negotiate.

What's going to happen is, the competition is going to drive down the premiums, in my opinion, much, much more than people understand.

DICKERSON: So, what you've just described is the bill that you previously had said you worried wouldn't help your people. And here's why I ask. You said, preexisting conditions...

TRUMP: No, there were things in the other bill, the first version, which were not as good.

DICKERSON: OK.

TRUMP: But when I watch some of the news reports, which are so unfair, and they say we don't cover preexisting conditions, we cover it beautifully.

DICKERSON: Although...

TRUMP: I'll tell you who doesn't cover preexisting conditions. Obamacare. You know why? It's dead.

DICKERSON: In one of the fixes that was...

TRUMP: It's not going to be here.

DICKERSON: In one of the fixes, it was discussed preexisting was optional for the states.

TRUMP: Sure, in one of the fixes. And they're changing it...

DICKERSON: Oh, OK. So it would be permanent?

TRUMP: ... and changing it.

Of course.

DICKERSON: OK.

TRUMP: This is...

(CROSSTALK)

DICKERSON: Well, that's a development, sir. So you're saying it's going to be preexisting for everybody?

(CROSSTALK)

TRUMP: John, this has evolved over a period of three or four weeks.

Now, we really have a good bill. I think they could have voted on Friday. I said, just relax. Don't worry about this phony 100-day thing. Just relax. Take it easy. Take your time. Get the good vote and make it perfect.

DICKERSON: Just to inform...

TRUMP: But we're going to -- most importantly, we're going to drive down premiums. We're going to drive down deductibles, because, right now, deductibles are so high, you never -- unless you're going to die a long, hard death, you never can get to use your health care...

DICKERSON: Let me ask you...

(CROSSTALK)

TRUMP: ... because the deductibles are so high.

DICKERSON: OK.

So, what I hear you saying is preexisting is going to be in there for everybody; it's not going to be up to the states?

TRUMP: Preexisting is going to be in there. And we're also...

DICKERSON: And it's not up to the states?

TRUMP: ... going to create pools.

DICKERSON: OK.

TRUMP: And pools are going to take care of the preexisting.

DICKERSON: But on that crucial question, it's not going to be left up to the states? Everybody gets preexisting, no matter where they live?

TRUMP: No, but the states...

DICKERSON: Guaranteed?

TRUMP: ... are also going to have a lot to do with it...

DICKERSON: OK.

TRUMP: ... because we ultimately want to get it back down to the states.

DICKERSON: It's a guarantee?

TRUMP: Look, because, if you hurt your knee, honestly, I'd rather have the federal government focused on North Korea, focused on other things than your knee, OK, or than your back, as important as your back is.

I would much rather see the federal government focused on other things...

DICKERSON: Let me...

TRUMP: ... bigger things.

Now, the state is going to be in a much better position to take care of, because it's smaller.

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