Sen. Rand Paul, who has long championed the ability for individuals to purchase insurance coverage through group purchases, said Friday that President Donald Trump's executive order will empower consumers.
"If you get group insurance under the proposal, they can't discriminate," the Kentucky Republican told MSNBC's "Morning Joe" program. "If you have a preexisting condition, you can still get insurance. Big companies don't discriminate based on your illnesses. The insurance we're talking about through health associations is exactly the same insurance that big corporations like Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Amazon, Microsoft, this is what they have for their employees. This is something that most people strive for and would like to have."
Self-employed people have to purchase coverage for themselves and their families in the individual market, Paul said, but "they would rather have what big corporations have. This proposal will let you become part of a group like a corporation and have leverage."
Larger insurance companies don't want to sell to people on the individual market, Paul continued, but if "15 million people are organized, how do you say no to them?"
The plan will work, Paul said, because of the economy of scale.
"I think we can totally transform the economic equation and dealings with insurance companies if we empower millions of people to join together," Paul said. "This is collective bargaining for the consumer. How could anybody be opposed to it?"
There are people worried that the plan evades Obamacare regulations, but "half the big companies in our country have this," the senator added.
By law, the associations won't be able to discriminate against people with preexisting conditions, Paul said.
"It's no different than if you work for Microsoft and you're one of thousands of employees and you get sick," he asserted. "Microsoft is not allowed to fire you or take away your insurance. Because you're part of a large pool, your price doesn't go up so much."
The plans won't have all the rules of Obamacare, he conceded, but "neither was 50 percent of the current market."
Paul, also appearing on Fox News' "Fox & Friends," often opposed executive orders when President Barack Obama issued them, but said Friday that that in this case, Trump's order supplemented a law that was already in place.
"If you take an executive order, create new government program, or create a big new immigration program, controverts the law that is wrong," Paul said, but Trump's action allowed "freedom to associate" while not canceling the Affordable Care Act.
Meanwhile, Paul commented on his questions on tax reform, saying he has always wanted to cut taxes but has concerns with Trump's proposal.
"I agree completely with the president," Paul said. "I talked to him yesterday, we're both on the same page but I have warned them there is a problem with the swamp putting this bill forward ... the president looked at his people directly, yesterday, pointed a finger at them, 'I will not raise taxes on middle class.' I take that to heart, I believe the president."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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