On January 15, 2026, President Donald J. Trump unveiled The Great Healthcare Plan from the White House—a comprehensive framework to lower prescription drug prices, reduce insurance premiums, hold large insurance companies accountable, and maximize price transparency. As co-authors of the Amazon bestselling book Beyond the COVID-19 Pandemic: Envisioning a Better World by Transforming the Future of Healthcare (available at https://a.co/d/8QaMKbh), we extend sincere congratulations to President Trump for this decisive action. By prioritizing patients over special-interest lobbyists in the pharmaceutical and insurance sectors, the plan advances patient-centered reforms that closely mirror the principles we outlined in 2020, informed by the COVID-19 pandemic’s profound lessons.
A cornerstone of our book was the proposal for a “SafetyNet” system to ensure universal access to essential care while decoupling health insurance from employment—a legacy of 1940s wage controls that has restricted individual choice and driven up costs (pages 145-146, 161-166, 174). We advocated redirecting resources directly to individuals to enable personalized coverage and foster competition. President Trump’s plan embodies this vision by directing to “Send the Money Directly to the American People,” halting billions in subsidies to large insurers and empowering eligible Americans to select their preferred insurance. Complementing this is funding for a cost-sharing reduction program—projected to save taxpayers at least $36 billion and lower common Obamacare premiums by over 10%—along with measures to end deceptive kickbacks from pharmacy benefit managers. These steps directly mitigate the affordability crises we documented, including families burdened by premiums exceeding $1,500 monthly.
Our critique of prescription drug pricing highlighted federal barriers to Medicare negotiation and unchecked markups, exemplified by insulin costs rising from $35 to over $400 per vial (pages 54-56, 166). We recommended enhanced negotiation authority and regulatory reforms to patent extensions. The plan advances these priorities by codifying most-favored-nation pricing—ensuring Americans pay no more than in other countries—grandfathering voluntary HHS/CMS negotiations from the president’s first term, and expanding access to verified over-the-counter medicines. Such provisions aim to curb rationing, improve medication adherence, and deliver substantial savings.
We also emphasized transparency to address opaque practices, such as arbitrary hospital chargemasters (page 53), and accountability in insurance operations. The plan’s requirements for “plain-English” rate and coverage comparisons, publication of overhead versus claim payments, disclosure of claim denial rates, and prominent public posting of prices for Medicare and Medicaid providers align precisely with these recommendations. By enabling informed consumer decisions and preventing surprise bills, these measures promote a more competitive and equitable marketplace.
As the White House framework explicitly calls on Congress to enact supporting legislation, the urgency is clear—particularly amid reported 2026 premium increases averaging $1,904 compared to $888 in 2025 due to expiring enhanced subsidies. We commend President Trump for building on his first-term achievements, such as insulin affordability improvements, and urge bipartisan congressional action to make The Great Healthcare Plan the law of the land without delay. Readers, healthcare professionals, and citizens are encouraged to contact their representatives and senators to advocate for prompt passage, transforming these aligned visions into enduring policy for accessible, affordable, and transparent healthcare.
Our book, drawing from global models and domestic critiques, remains a detailed blueprint for such reforms and is available at https://a.co/d/8QaMKbh.
Prof. (Dr.) Joseph M. Chalil is a bestselling author, award-winning global healthcare executive, Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, LLM candidate at the University of Edinburgh, and Complex Health Systems faculty at Nova Southeastern University’s College of Business. He leads multiple U.S. healthcare companies and serves as Publisher of Universal News Network. Follow him on X at @Dr_Chalil.
Ambassador Pradeep K. Kapur is a distinguished “luminary diplomat” with a career spanning service to Indian Prime Ministers and global leaders across Asia, Africa, Europe, North America, and South America.
Together, Ambassador Kapur and Dr. Chalil have authored two bestselling books: “Beyond the COVID-19 Pandemic: Envisioning a Better World by Transforming the Future of Healthcare” and “India Beyond The Pandemic: A Sustainable Path Towards Global Quality Healthcare”.
