Trump opposes some benefits, reveals little of Obamacare plan in speech

In his first address to a joint session of Congress — a high-wattage moment to articulate his central goals — President Trump defied expectations he had repeatedly set that he was about to unveil a concrete plan to abolish the Affordable Care Act and steer federal health policy onto a more conservative path.

The five minutes Trump devoted to health care Tuesday night was largely a recitation of longtime Republican ideas that he has adopted, with an emphasis on removing the rules the Affordable Care Act placed on insurers to try to promote comprehensive health benefits.

“Mandating every American to buy government-approved health insurance was never the right solution for our country,” the president said, aligning with the prevailing GOP view that consumers should be allowed to buy skimpier plans that could be sold at lower prices.

Yet Trump did not echo conservatives — including his health and human services secretary, Tom Price — who are eager to convert Medicaid and Medicare from entitlement programs to ones providing “defined contributions” to help low-income and older Americans buy coverage. He only briefly referred to giving states more latitude over Medicaid and made no mention of Medicare.

Read the full story at the Washington Post: Trump opposes required health benefits but reveals few details of his plan to end the ACA – The Washington Post