President Trump delivered his 2019 State of the Union Address on February 5, 2019. During his speech, he touched upon several issues that could impact the employee benefits industry, including paid family leave, pre-existing conditions, and lower prescription drug prices.
Nationwide paid family leave has been a hot issue due to increased public pressure. President Trump called once again for federal paid family leave. Many states have moved forward and proposed their own versions of paid family leave. He mentioned no specifics of the plan or how it may be funded but this issue would have support from both Republicans and Democrats.
The guarantee of coverage for pre-existing conditions has been on shaky ground for a while because ACA provisions have been picked apart and scrutinized by the Trump administration. The president believes that those with pre-existing conditions should receive protections. He’d likely find support from both parties in making a change.
The president called on Congress to prioritize lowering both health care and prescription drug costs for the American people. This has been an ever increasing pain point for the public. Recent moves in the right direction include:
Take note that this is just a speech, and if any actual action or change will come out of this will remain to be seen. Download the bulletin for more info. Stay tuned to our blog for the latest updates on this and more.