Trump uses Henry Kissinger as misleading example of why 'failing' Obamacare must be fixed
"We're going to have to do something on Obamacare because it is failing," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. "Henry Kissinger does not want to pay 116% increase in his premiums, but that's what's happening and it's actually getting worse."
Trump appeared to be citing the statistic for the average increase between 2016 and 2017 in premium costs for a plan purchased on the Obamacare individual insurance exchange in Arizona, which was 116% before subsidies were included.
Kissinger, however, likely has not experienced financial stress from the healthcare law. For one, Kissinger lives in New York, where Obamacare premiums increased 16.6% on the individual exchange last year.
Kissinger, 94, is also on Medicare - the government sponsored insurance program for older Americans. While there were some changes to Medicare under Obamacare, Trump's concerns about the exchanges have nothing to do with the program.
In addition to the statement about Kissinger, Trump reiterated that he plans to roll out a series of healthcare-related executive orders in the coming days that would allow for association health plans and other modified types of insurance.
"I'll also be signing something probably this week which is going to go a long way to take care of so many of the people that have been so badly hurt on healthcare," Trump said.
Incidentally, most health policy experts predict that older Americans and those with health conditions, like Kissinger, could face higher costs under Trump's planned executive orders.