President Donald Trump healthcare agenda: PwC

President Trump’s strategic agenda for healthcare is taking shape and setting the stage for a horizon of healthcare transformation. This transformation aims to shift the emphasis from treatment to prevention while enhancing personalized care and continuing to push to cut drug costs.

Looking ahead, the Trump administration and GOP are in a position to accelerate their health agenda with four key themes:

• Flexibility and choice: Shift decision making on healthcare from federal level to states and individuals
• Fiscal conservativism: Emphasize policies that reduce government spending in an effort to balance the budget and pass upcoming tax legislation
• Public health reform: Revaluate the current health system to “Make America Healthy Again”
• Deregulation: Reduce the volume of existing federal regulations

Donald Trump’s second term as president marks a significant shift in the political landscape, with considerable implications for the health industry. It is important to consider how the landscape has changed since President Trump’s first term. For one, the debate to repeal and replace the ACA no longer retains the level of political or public support it did in 2016 and healthcare resources and policy efforts that had been focused on the pandemic during the last term can now focus on regulatory and market reform.

Strong momentum exists for change and disruption given Republican control of Congress, a far more prepared executive transition team and cabinet nominations with packed agendas. Yet, the new Trump administration will need to work alongside a Republican Congress with very slim majorities and less ideological consensus than in past years. This may create delays or conflict as legislation is negotiated despite early political momentum.

One main focus of political energy in 2025 will be in negotiating the delicate balance of legislative policy change to offset the cost of an ambitious agenda including tax proposals, energy policy, deregulation priorities, defense funding, and border security. The key to passage will be in maintaining support of both hardliners who are concerned with national debt and centrists who are more hesitant to cut popular federal programs. Major cuts to Medicaid funding, ACA subsidy programs, and drug pricing are all on the table. Continued emphasis on trade policy and tariffs is also expected and may move swiftly as these do not require Congressional action.

On the regulatory front, President Trump’s health agenda focuses on broad public health reform with the goal of making America healthier. These initiatives are triumphed by new appointees with perspectives that may resonate with consumers and align with patient centric ideals. This may create increased emphasis on preventive health, funding for chronic diseases, and scrutiny of manufacturers’ role in agency decision making.

Ultimately, the Trump administration is poised to fulfill campaign promises, address unfinished business from his previous administration and potentially set the trajectory of the Republican party for the future.