Donald Trump on Tuesday said Obamacare is “blowing up” and that the administration is underestimating even a projected average 25 percent increase in premiums for certain plans on the law’s federal insurance exchange.
“Obamacare is just blowing up,” Mr. Trump said. “Even the White House, our president, announced 25 or 26 percent.”
“That number is so wrong,” he said. “That is such a phony number.”
“You’re talking about 60, 70, 80 percent in increases — not 25 percent,” he said. “And I think what he wanted to do, because it was blowing up all over the country — the numbers came out in Texas where it’s 60 percent increases and other places, other states — one state’s going to be 92 percent, I understand.”
“Pretty sad when you put out a 25 or 26 percent increase and that’s supposed to … keep it down,” he said.
The Obama administration announced on Monday that premiums for certain plans on the federal insurance exchange will rise by an average of 25 percent in 2017, although government subsidies would theoretically bring prices down for qualified consumers.
“Obamacare has to be repealed and replaced, and it has to be replaced with something much less expensive for the people, and otherwise this country’s in even bigger trouble than anybody thought,” the New York real-estate developer said.
Mr. Trump was speaking at his Doral golf club in Florida. He’s in the midst of a multi-day campaign swing through the Sunshine State.
A few of Mr. Trump’s employees at the club also stepped up to deliver positive testimonials about their boss. The GOP nominee said 80 percent of the more than 1,000 employees at the club are Hispanic.
“All of my employees are having a tremendous problem with Obamacare,” he said. “What’s they’re going through with [their] health care is horrible because of Obamacare.”
“These are just amazing people, and this is what jobs do,” Mr. Trump said later. “Jobs just make lives and they make people and they make families.”
“They’re not worried about their health care, because we take great care of people.”
In a telephone interview on Fox News soon afterward, Mr. Trump said he doesn’t really deal with Obamacare because the people don’t want it, but that those who are forced into it are feeling the negative effects.
“Well, I don’t use much Obamacare, I must be honest with you, because it’s so bad for the people and they can’t afford it,” he said.
“For instance, I’m at Trump National Doral in Miami and we don’t even use Obamacare. We don’t want it,” he said. “The people don’t want it. And I spend more money on health coverage, but we don’t use it.”
“I have great employees. I take care of my employees,” he said. “But the people that have to use, they’re forced to use Obamacare — it’s catastrophic. It’s a disaster … they can’t afford it.”
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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