During the crafting of the Republican healthcare bill, more than a few GOP senators remarked that President Trump didn’t seem to have a complete grasp of the subject. Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana had this to say on Thursday:
“I don’t think it’s important for him to understand the policy intricacies of this bill. What’s important for him is to understand the principle. His principle is there should be a replace associated with repeal.”
The matter of whether or not Trump does indeed understand even the basics of health insurance are proven with something he told the New York Times just this week:
“So pre-existing conditions are a tough deal. Because you are basically saying from the moment the insurance, you’re 21 years old, you start working and you’re paying $12 a year for insurance, and by the time you’re 70, you get a nice plan.”
Is that supposed to be a joke? Insurance costs $12 a year? For who?
And this isn’t the first time Trump has proven his complete lack of comprehension regarding how much a health insurance policy costs. Earlier this year he told the Economist:
“Insurance is, you’re 20 years old, you just graduated from college, and you start paying $15 a month for the rest of your life and by the time you’re 70, and you really need it, you’re still paying the same amount and that’s really insurance.”
Is Trump thinking of life insurance? Perhaps. But who doesn’t know the difference?
Some facts for the president:
- The average premium for a single person who gets health benefits from an employer last year was $536 a month. The employee pays an average of 18 percent of that total cost.
- For an individual policy, such as one from the health insurance exchange, a mid-level “Silver” plan ranges from $364.91 a month for a 30-year-old to $872.01 per month for a 60-year-old.
There was lots of scorn for the insurance-challenged POTUS on Twitter:
Does Donald Trump think that health insurance works like a 401k? Or life insurance? Or that anyone is paying $12/month for it? pic.twitter.com/X9NAHkL1f9
— Molly Lamping Fleck (@mollyfleck) July 20, 2017
It seems Trump might think health insurance is the same as the "low monthly price" life insurance from TV ads… https://t.co/lTBiT7EEbz
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) July 20, 2017
Even when Reagan was senile, I think he knew the difference between life insurance and health insurance. I don't think Trump does.
— Micke S (@fawlty) July 20, 2017
It seems like an under-reported fact that @realDonaldTrump thinks health insurance operates like life insurance. But nothing matters anymore
— Accidental Dread (@AccidentalDread) July 20, 2017
Here’s a thought: Let’s just go ahead and admit that the guy in the Oval Office is unfit to serve in any capacity, have a do-over, and get us a real president. Who’s with me?
This article was originally published by the same author at LiberalAmerica.org