Remarks by President Trump at Signing of Executive Order on Advancing American Kidney Health | Eastern North Carolina Now

    MS. SCOTT: Thank you, Mr. President. Good morning. As he said, my name is Nancy Scott. I am an ordained minister, retired nurse, president of Dialysis Patient Citizens Education Center, and currently slowly working on a doctorate in industrial organizational psychology. But most of all, I am a patient.

    In March of 2004, I woke up on a Saturday morning and I could not see nor could I stand up. I went to the emergency room, and by Monday I was a full-fledged dialysis patient.

    My daughter said, "Mom, you can't be hooked up to a machine three times a week. I'm going to give you a kidney."

    We went for a workup, and they found out that I also had breast cancer. So I was on dialysis for seven years. I received chemo and radiation. I had to wait three years before I went on a transplant because, in the state of Delaware, you have to wait three years.

    I am transplanted now for eight years, and I'm living proof - (applause) - don't make me cry. Don't make cry. (Laughs.) I'm living proof, as I said, that dialysis does not mean the end of your life. I did dialysis. I did not let it do me.

    Mr. President, thank you for this executive order that thousands of us had been working for, focusing on these issues. And I'm glad to see, in my lifetime, that some of it will come to fruition. Thank you all very much. (Applause.)

    THE PRESIDENT: Wow. That's an incredible story. That's hard work, Nancy. Huh? That was hard - that was hard work.

    MS. SCOTT: Yes, it was.

    THE PRESIDENT: You just say that - that the regimen of what she had to do and go through, incredible. Great story.

    At age 25, Tunisia Bullock was blindsided by kidney failure while she was being treated for another disease. Tunisia, please come up and tell the story. (Applause.)

    MS. BULLOCK: Thank you, Mr. President. As a young woman, just graduating college with a degree in flute performance, the world was at my fingertips. I was so excited to start my life as a graduate student at the University of New Mexico.

    Little did I know that on the morning of July 1st, 2006, my world would change. The total trajectory of my life would change. Four months later, I was diagnosed with lupus. And a year after that, I was diagnosed with end-stage renal disease.


    On June 13th, 2008, I woke up in the hospital attached to a dialysis machine. I had no idea what was happening to me. Would I live, or would I die? It was in this moment that I knew I was in the fight of my life.

    As I journeyed through dialysis care, I learned that I had to take my care into my own hands. It was through my own curiosity and research that I found what treatment mode would best be suited for me.

    As I reflect back, I now realize that my healthcare providers failed me at the beginning of the dialysis continuum.

    Mr. President, I am optimistically hopeful that the policies being proposed will help dialysis patients and families navigate the renal care system with less confusion and more ease.

    THE PRESIDENT: Thank you.

    MS. BULLOCK: Thank you. (Applause.)

    THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you. Do you still play the flute?

    MS. BULLOCK: I still play the flute.

    THE PRESIDENT: Good.

    I just asked Tunisia, "Do you still play the flute?" She said, "I still play the flute." I'll bet you play it well, too, right? (Laughter.) I'll bet you're good.

    Thank you very much, Tunisia.

    With today's order, my administration is taking one more vital step in a series of actions to deliver great healthcare for the American people.

    We've launched a bold initiative to lower the cost of prescription drugs. That's a big thing, and we're working very hard on it. And we have some very big moments coming up, I think, over the next week, having to do with that - Seema and Alex and everybody. I think we have some very big moments coming up very shortly. That will be something very special.

    Last year, we saw the first drop in prescription drug prices in over 46 years. We're expanding affordable insurance options for millions of American workers through association health plans, short-term plans, and health reimbursement arrangements. Some of the options are 60 percent less expensive than what you have today, or, I should say, probably a year or two ago.


    And we will always protect patients with preexisting conditions. It's an absolute fact. It's done. The Republican Party will protect patients with preexisting conditions. (Applause.)

    We're working with Congress to stop surprise medical billing because no American should be blindsided by medical bills to services that they never agreed to in advance. They go home; they get a bill that's more money than they have in the bank. They don't know what to do. And we have stopped that, and we've made tremendous progress in that. That was a tremendous problem and continues to be until people find out what the new system is.

    To give patients the ability to choose the best doctor at the best price, we're giving you the right to know the price and quality of healthcare services before you purchase care - something that you were not able to do.

    We're giving you transparency. And that is something that some people think will be, in many ways, bigger than healthcare. It's going to be an enormous thing. We signed the bill a month ago, and the regulations are being worked out right now. And I assume you're going to have them done quickly.

    I know Alex and Seema, they'll have them done probably within a couple of days. (Laughter.)

    SECRETARY AZAR: On your desk.

    THE PRESIDENT: How long it will be - how long will it be? Pretty -

    SECRETARY AZAR: Really fast. (Laughs.)

    THE PRESIDENT: It will be really fast. Okay. He's very smart. (Laughter.) He's a very smart guy.

    So that's a big thing: transparency. It will be bigger than most people understand. One of the bigger things that we've done from the medical and healthcare standpoint.

    Finally and most significantly, we're creating millions of new jobs, each one with the means to help families afford better healthcare.

    We will not rest until Americans have the healthcare system that they need and deserve: a system that finally puts American patients first. We say, "America first. America patients first."

    Thank you very much for being here. I just do want to thank some of the people, because Seema and Alex and so many of the people - senator, congressman - you've worked so hard on these things. You've worked so hard on the kidney. Very special - the kidney has a very special place in the heart. It's an incredible thing. People that have to go this - people that have loved ones that are working so hard to stay alive. They have to work so hard. There's an esprit de corps. There's a spirit like you see rarely on anything.


    So I just want to thank all of you folks for being here. It's really fantastic. And it's truly an exciting day for advancing kidney health in our country.

    I just want to end by saying, on behalf of every American with kidney disease, I will now sign this historic executive order.

    This is a first, second, and third step; it's more than just a first step. But we're going to come up with solutions that, over a period of 5 years and 10 years - I think most people, even in this room - experts in this room - won't even believe. From what I hear, there are signs and potential out there that's just incredible.

    Thank you very much for being here. And let's sign the executive order. Let's get going. (Applause.)

    I think we'll give this pen to Hudson. (Laughter.) We'll give this one to Hudson.

    (The executive order is signed.) (Applause.)

    Thank you, everybody. Thank you.

END  •  11:57 A.M. EDT
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