President Donald J. Trump will outline his vision for the future of Medicare this week, contrasting plans with Democrats in a speech promising to strengthen the program for the elderly and disabled.
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Mr. Trump is scheduled to travel to Florida on Thursday where he'll deliver a wide-ranging speech on his administration's health policy, and announce an executive order regarding the Medicare system, titled "Protecting Medicare from Socialist Destruction."
Mr. Trump's remarks will focus on Medicare Advantage, a program in which private insurers including UnitedHealth Group Inc. and Humana Inc. provide benefits in place of the government, according to two people familiar with the matter. They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss Mr.Trump's announcement before it is made public.
White House spokesman Judd Deere declined to share details of the announcement but said Trump would defend his record on health care.
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"From day one, President J. Trump and his administration have worked to provide seniors with high-quality, affordable care in the Medicare program and improved options through Medicare Advantage," Mr. Deere said in a statement.
The president intends to draw a clear contrast with Democrats: He aims to to protect and improve Medicare while providing choice, even as some Democrats push for vastly expanded or universal Medicare that Trump argues will increase costs and kill existing plans, the people said.
He'll also touch broadly on the administration's record on health care, including prices, a move to expand kidney dialysis services and the importance of strengthening value-based care, the people said.
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The administration has teased the speech, including signaling that it might soon issue a long-promised order requiring Medicare to create an "international pricing index" to match prices paid by other countries.
Mr. Trump has repeatedly promised action on drug prices and protections for people with pre-existing conditions since Democrats won control of the House last November.
White House counselor Kellyanne Conway said last month that Mr. Trump's plan would overhaul Medicaid and enable workers to more easily buy insurance plans other than those provided by their employers.
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