HOW TWO INDIANS ANTICIPATED TRUMP’S HEALTHCARE REFORM

The 2020 book, authored independently by two non-U.S. figures with extensive international experience, outlined remarkably similar reforms years ahead of this announcement.

- DR JOSEPH M. CHALIL & PRADEEP K. KAPUR

On 15 January 2026, President Donald J. Trump released “The Great Healthcare Plan” from the White House—a comprehensive framework aimed at slashing prescription drug prices, lowering insurance premiums, holding large insurance companies accountable, and enforcing price transparency.

As coauthors of the Amazon bestselling book “Beyond the COVID-19 Pandemic: Envisioning a Better World by Transforming the Future of Healthcare”, we extend our congratulations to President Trump for this bold initiative.

What is particularly noteworthy for global observers is that our 2020 book, authored independently by two non-U.S. figures with extensive international experience, outlined remarkably similar reforms years ahead of this announcement. Informed by the Covid-19 pandemic’s global lessons, our work proposed patient-centred changes that now appear to echo in U.S. policy.

Together, we envisioned a transformed future for healthcare, prioritizing affordability, equity, and transparency—principles that transcend national borders and hold relevance for India’s ongoing efforts to expand universal access through initiatives like Ayushman Bharat (see table).

A central recommendation in our book was the establishment of a “SafetyNet” system to guarantee essential care while decoupling health insurance from employment—a model inherited from mid-20th-century wage controls that has constrained choice and escalated costs (pages 145-146, 161-166, 174).

We advocated redirecting resources directly to individuals to promote personalized coverage and market competition. President Trump's plan mirrors this by instructing to “Send the Money Directly to the American People,” redirecting billions in subsidies from large insurers to eligible citizens for insurance of their choice.