Trump up to no good
it coming from the federal government but going to the private sector which delivers healthcare services.
Mr Trump has repeatedly tried to downgrade Obamacare – an affordable care act. And he has only failed in fatally weakening it after tight votes in Congress.
He has managed to reduce the number of Americans signed up to plans, making the whole system more expensive for providers.
His critics believe his end goal is to make the insurance market so expensive that Obamacare providers have to drop out of the market and leave it to traditionally profit-hungry companies. Just days before Mr Trump’s arrival his ambassador declared that the “entire economy” including the NHS should be on the table. The US wants its companies to be allowed to bid for more health contracts increasing fears of a race to the bottom.
It could also be expected to challenge the NHS’s drugs purchasing policy where it decides the fair value of medicines it buys.
America argues that lower set prices are unfair on its pharmaceutical companies and leave US consumers footing the bill.
Earlier, Mr Trump had told Mrs May to “stick around” for a “very substantial” trade deal with the US – despite the fact she is standing down as Tory leader on Friday.
His NHS comments came during a wide-ranging press conference which covered Chinese telecoms giant Huawei, the Conservative leadership race and Brexit.
The President, on a threeday state visit to Britain, suggested Mrs May had brought the UK to “a very good point” by getting a Brexit deal with the
EU – and that there would be a breakthrough with MPs
“in the not too distant future” despite her widely hated plan being rejected three times.
But Mr Trump was accused of meddling in British politics by holding meetings with right-winger Nigel Farage and a string of Tory Brexiteers.
The President was unusually diplomatic on Britain’s decision whether to allow the Chinese firm access to its 5G network, which America has previously opposed on security grounds. He said: “We have an incredible intelligence relationship and we are going to be able to work out any differences.”
Last night an online petition urging the Government to guarantee the NHS would never form part of a US trade deal had been signed by more than 126,250 people.
Dr Sonia Adesara, of Keep Our NHS Public, said: “I’m concerned this could be the beginning of the end for high-quality healthcare for all in the UK.”
I think everything with a trade deal is on the table. So the NHS or a lot more than that. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP SPEAKING AT THE FOREIGN OFFICE
DEMANDING the National Health Service be up for grabs in any future British-US trade pact explains why Donald Trump enthusiastically backs Brexit.
The President is salivating over a weakened UK desperate for a deal with Washington and anticipating rich pickings for healthcare corporations on his side of the Atlantic.
We would pay a high price if Brexit results in feted right-wing politicians from Boris Johnson to Nigel Farage putting their warped ideologies before the interests of our nation.
The tyrannical liar from the USA is a rogue President ignoring sacred diplomatic conventions by interfering in British democracy.
Trump’s campaign connived with Russians to put him in the Oval Office so we should not be entirely surprised he is echoing here what the Kremlin did in the States.
The urgent challenge is to save the NHS and stop Trump sticking his nose into our politics.