Author: Aletha Cress Oglesby, M.D.

As a family physician, I explore the HEART of HEALTH in my work, recreation, community, and through writing. My blog, Watercress Words, informs and inspires us to live in health. I believe we can turn our health challenges into healthy opportunities. When we do, we can share the HEART of health with our families, communities, and the world. Come explore and share with me.

President Trump’s Healthcare Achievements 2016-2020

This post reviews healthcare during Donald Trump’s first presidential term, detailing his achievements from 2016 to 2020 , including his response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

updated June 25, 2026

This post looks back at healthcare under the first Trump administration from 2016 to 2020.

I originally wrote this post in 2020 during the Presidential campaign between incumbent Donald Trump, Republican, and Joe Biden, Democrat. Joe Biden won that election.

In 2024 Trump again ran for President against the incumbent Biden, who unexpectedly dropped out of the race in the summer. His Vice President Kamala Harris became the Democratic candidate.

Donald Trump won reelection with 50% of the popular votes to 48.4% for Kamala Harris. The electoral count was 312 to 226. (per the Associated Press). (The last President to serve two non-consecutive terms was Grover Cleveland in 1893. )

Healthcare 2008-2016

Due to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, health was a major topic in both global and national news. And health was s a major issue in this year’s United States presidential election in November 2020.

Health care was a major issue in the 2008 election and proved to be momentous. In his campaign, the Democratic candidate, Barack Obama, promised health care reform and as President he delivered with the passage of the Affordable Care Act, (ACA) the first time Americans have had universal health care.

The ACA sparked heated debate in the 2016 election with the Democratic candidate pledging to build upon it and Republican candidate vowing to dismantle it .

Official portrait of President Donald J. Trump, Friday, October 6, 2017. (Official White House photo by Shealah Craighead)
How to become President inforgraphic
The Presidential pathway from USA.gov

President Donald J. Trump Achievements

This information was adapted from a Trump-affiliated site that is no longer active.

The Trump Administration

  • expanded access to Association Health Plans (AHPs) allowing small business to pool risk across states.
  • launched a program to provide the HIV prevention drug PrEP to uninsured patients for free.
  • issued guidance expanding options for individuals with chronic conditions. High deductible plans can now cover products such as insulin, inhalers and statins pre-deductible.
  • issued a rule allowing health care workers to refuse to provide services like abortion, sterilization or assisted suicide, if they cite a religious or conscientious objection.
  • announced the launch of a new COVID-19 Uninsured Program Portal in an effort to cover testing and treatment for uninsured individuals.

As part of the landmark Tax Cuts and Jobs Act President Trump repealed the individual mandate, which forced people to buy expensive insurance and taxed those who couldn’t afford it.

The mandate disproportionately hurt the poor: 80% of those affected made less than $50,000.

As President, Mr. Trump
  • took executive action to strengthen Medicare and reform the Medicare program to stop hospitals from overcharging seniors on their drugs.
  • pressured China to close dangerous loopholes that allowed Chinese fentanyl manufacturers to legally ship the compound worldwide, much of which ended up in the U.S.
  • created a bipartisan opioid commission that issued 56 recommendations to help defeat the opioid crisis.
  • invoked the Defense Production Act, giving power to allocate health care supplies and increase production of necessary products to counter COVID-19. 
  • worked with Congress to stop surprise medical billing.
As President, Mr. Trump signed
  • the bipartisan Tobacco-Free Youth Act to raise the nationwide age for purchasing tobacco and vaping products to 21 years old.
  • the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, expanding the SNAP and WIC programs by adding $500 million, helping pregnant women and those who lost their jobs due to COVID-19.
  • an executive order to modernize flu vaccines and help protect more Americans by promoting new technologies to improve vaccine manufacturing and effectiveness.
  • a bill to extend Veterans Choice Health Care Law.
  • an executive order that increased price and quality transparency in American health care.
Oval Office replica
replica of the Oval Office at the Reagan Presidential Library, photo by Dr. Aletha

THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S ACTIONS TO COMBAT THE CORONAVIRUS

President Trump established a Coronavirus Task Force which advised him on the medical and scientific facts, research, and treatment of COVID-19.Vice President Mike Pence chaired the task force.

January 6, 2020- the CDC issued a level 1 travel notice for Wuhan China, established a coronavirus incident management system for information about the virus, and two weeks later activated its emergency operations center.

January 27- The White House Coronavirus Task Force started meeting to monitor the virus and provide updates to the President. The CDC issued a level lll travel health notice to avoid all nonessential travel to China.

January 30-WHO declared coronavirus disease 2019, COVID-19, a global health emergency. (not in the timeline as written)

On January 31, the Trump Administration declared the coronavirus a public health emergency, announced Chinese travel restrictions, and suspended entry into the United States for foreign nationals who pose a risk of transmitting the coronavirus.

February 4- In his State of the Union Address, Mr Trump vowed to “take all necessary steps” to protect Americans from the coronavirus.

February 7- He told reporters that the CDC is working with China on the coronavirus.

February 24- The Trump Administration requested $2.5 billion from Congress to combat the spread of the coronavirus. On March 6 he signed an $48.3 billion bill to provide funds to federal, state, and local agencies, and $500 million in Medicare telehealth waivers. He requested a payroll tax cut bill from Congress.

March 31- Trump issued “30 Days To Slow The Spread” guidance to mitigate the outbreak of coronavirus.

April 2-Mr. Trump invoked the Defense Production Act to direct 3M to produce more N95 respirator masks and to help several companies-ResMed, General Electric, Medtronic- get the supplies needed to make ventilators.

April 3-Mr. Trump signed a Presidential Memorandum blocking the export of N95 and other respirator masks, surgical masks, PPE gloves, and surgical gloves to ensure they are available in the U.S.; he directed FEMA to send Ochsner ( Medical Center in Louisiana) surgical gowns.

April 6- In a phone call, he discussed potential coronavirus therapies with CEOs of pharmaceutical and biotech companies.

April 12- The United States, Russia, and OPEC agreed to cut oil production and stabilize the oil market, a deal that Mr.Trump “brokered.”

April 14-President Trump halted funding to WHO, while a review of its “mismanagement” of the coronavirus outbreak is conducted. (quotation marks added)

April 16-He announced new, phased “opening up America again” guidelines, spoke with the Opening Up America Again Congressional group, and spoke with the Governors about re-opening.

By April 17, the President had declared major disaster declarations for all states and territories, a first in U.S. history

April 22- Mr. Trump signed a Presidential Proclamation suspending immigration to the U.S. for 60 days due to “the impact of foreign workers on the labor market, in an environment of high unemployment.”

By April 27, President Trump had spoken with many foreign leaders, including those of India, Italy, China, Turkey, Russia, Kenya, South Africa, Poland, Pakistan, Qatar, Ecuador, Britain, and France.

He also spoke to Republican Senators, former Vice President Joe Biden, and the state Governors.

He attended meetings with multiple business leaders including those in health insurance, tourism, retail, wholesale, supply chain distributors,and banking.

He spoke by phone with owners of groceries, restaurants, and other small businesses.

He also spoke to leaders in mental health, faith, tribal affairs, and nonprofits, including the Salvation Army and the Red Cross.

He met with energy execs from Phillis 66, Devon, Occidental, Chevron, Exxon Mobil, and other companies to discuss coronavirus’ effect on the energy industry.

Mr. Trump spoke to the commissioners of major league sports organizations-MLB, NFL, and NBA, recognizing the teams’ and players’ work in their communities to combat coronavirus.

He met with military families, coronavirus survivors, and front line healthcare workers.

April 24- The President signed the Paycheck Protection Program ( PPP) and Health Care Enhancement Act into law

  • $323 billion-for the PPP
  • $75 billion-for health care providers
  • $25 billion- for coronavirus testing

April 24-President Trump spoke with three other Presidents.

April 24: “Vice President Pence & members of the coronavirus held a conference call with Governors to discuss increasing testing capacity.”

On April 27, the White House coronavirus task force appeared in a Rose Garden

Exploring the HEART of health

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Dr. Aletha

Exploring the Heart of Justice

In this post I reflected on a Biblical concept in light of the health crisis occurring at the time. That has resolved, but the ideas are still pertinent as our world faces new challenges that need just solutions. It highlights the importance of justice in decision-making, referencing a podcast outlining three types of justice. Additionally, it explores connections between righteousness and justice in the Bible, emphasizing the need for just behavior amidst crisis.

updated January 29, 2025

I wrote this post almost 5 years ago during a crisis I think most of us have forgotten. But there is always a new crisis to replace the last one.

I think the lessons I tried to convey in this post can be generalized to other situations, not just the one then, the COVID-19 pandemic. Read it with that in mind. Now to the original post from 2020.

We’re experiencing two pandemics; the medical one causing illness, suffering and death due to a ravaging disease and the economic one causing financial hardship, food insecurity, and job loss due to a devastated economy.

Families and businesses are making hard choices, choices in which fairness is important but difficult to achieve. I listened to a podcast (link below) that addressed this as a matter of justice, which I found worth thinking more about.

What is justice?

In the podcast, Dr. Celine Grounder interviewed Adam Grant, a psychologist and professor. She asked him what makes for a good leader in the kind of crisis we’re experiencing now. He replied the best companies and their leaders base decisions on justice and he described 3 types of justice.

  • distributive justice- making choices that lead to fair outcomes
  • procedural justice-making decisions through a fair and unbiased process
  • interpersonal justice-making decisions in a way that treats people with respect, dignity, and compassion

Understanding Biblical Justice

This idea caught my attention because I made an insight recently while reading the part of the Bible known as the Sermon on the Mount. Matthew chapters 5 through 7 include some of the Bible’s most well-known passages, some you may not realize are biblical. Have you ever heard these phrases?

  • eye for an eye
  • turn the other cheek
  • go the extra mile
  • the Golden Rule
  • pearls before swine

These phrases from the Sermon are attributed to Jesus and may not have been from a single sermon; the lessons it teaches may have been given at different times, the book Luke, contains some of the same messages.

In the Sermon as in other New Testament scenes, Jesus taught his followers how they should live their lives and one word he uses several times is “righteousness”.

a ceramic cross with the Beatitudes Matthew 5:3-10

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Matthew 5:6, NIV

Righteousness sounds overtly religious, living bound by strict laws, emphasizing rule keeping, striving for perfection. As Richard Foster wrote, righteousness can consist of “control over externals, often including the manipulation of others.” (from Celebration of Discipline )

So I was surprised that one version, the New Living Translation (NLT), uses a different word for righteousness-justice.

God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied.

Matthew 5:6, NLT

Several other Bible verses suggest righteousness and justice are two aspects of the same concept.

  • The Lord loves righteousness and justice;the earth is full of his unfailing love. Psalm 33:5, NIV
  • The Lord works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed. Psalm 103:6, NIV
  •  But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!   Amos 5:24, NIV

Reverend Erin Clifford explains both Old and New Testament Biblical justice in this short video.

Reflecting on these and other scriptures in I Am With You author Ann Spangler wrote this

“Righteousness is a Biblical word that means being in a right relationship with God, and with others. Injustice fractures and destroys relationships….

righteousness is “primarily a relationship, never an attainment; a direction, a loyalty, a commitment, a hope-and only someday an arrival” (quoting Addison Leitch)

social graphic from the LIGHTSTOCK.COM collection, an affiliate site

Practicing Justice

Farther in the Sermon Jesus tells the people to

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

Matthew 6:33, NLT

This suggests that living justly isn’t merely thinking about justice, but behaving in a just manner, perhaps like the interpersonal justice Mr. Grant describes in the podcast.

some other thoughts on the Sermon on the Mount

Matthew 5:6 is from part of the Sermon known as the Beatitudes. learn more about it here

How to be blessed, happy, and healthy

And in the rest of the Sermon, Jesus goes on to describe some other criteria for living a righteous or just life. I’ll explore that further in another post.

Here is a link to the podcast if you’d like to listen.

EPIDEMIC- Good and Bad Bosses

“EPIDEMIC is a twice-weekly podcast on public health and the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2 / COVID-19).  Hosted by Dr. Celine Gounder, an infectious disease specialist and epidemiologist who has worked on tuberculosis and HIV in sub-Saharan Africa, and was an Ebola worker during the West African epidemic. And co-hosted by Ron Klain, the U.S. Ebola czar from 2014 to 2015.”

The COVID-19 pandemic may well be the defining moment of our times. Our lives have changed irrevocably. We need to understand the science so we can care for ourselves, our families, and our communities. And we need voices of reason to help us make sense of it all.

EPIDEMIC

In this episode, Dr. Celine Gounder talks to Adam Grant, a professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. They discuss

  • work during a pandemic and which companies are taking considerations to continue to take care of their employees, and which companies aren’t.
  • what good leadership during a crisis really looks like, and whether the COVID-19 pandemic may change the kinds of benefits that employers offer their employees.
  • how companies can improve their work-from-home culture, as well as how the pandemic may change people’s work-life/home-life balance permanently. 

Exploring the HEART of Health

I appreciate your time reading this post and invite you to follow this blog and me on social media.

I share information and inspiration to help you transform challenges into opportunities for learning and growth.

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I enjoy seeing who is new to Watercress Words. When you subscribe, I will visit your blog or website. Thanks and see you next time.

Dr. Aletha

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