Donald Trump touts phantom Trumpcare provision that doesn't exist in the bill

President Donald Trump sought to defend the Republican health care plan currently being debated in the House, touting a provision that would allow health care to be sold across state lines during an interview with Bloomberg published Monday.

"We're getting rid of the border state lines, and we're going to have tremendous competition," Trump said in the interview.

That provision, however, doesn't exist in the American Health Care Act, the official name for the bill House Republicans are currently debating. 

Despite promoting a phantom provision, Trump also struggled to defend other parts of the bill.

Last week, House Republicans added an amendment to the bill that would allow states to opt out of popular Affordable Care Act provisions that protect people with pre-existing conditions. 

The ACA, better known as Obamacare, prevents states from charging people with pre-existing conditions more for coverage and mandates certain "essential health benefits" be covered in qualifying plans. Those EHBs include things like hospitalization, prescription drugs, preventative care and mental health, among others. 

Under the GOP plan, states could opt out of those protections, potentially leaving sick Americans to pay more for plans that don't cover the services they need. (House Republicans exempted themselves from being impacted by the pre-existing conditions waivers.)

When Bloomberg asked Trump whether he would sign a bill that could hurt Americans with pre-existing conditions, he got combative, calling the GOP bill "misunderstood" and vowing that it's "much better for people than Obamacare."

"Is it okay then to pass a House bill that may not protect pre-existing conditions because of the states loophole?" Bloomberg reporters Jennifer Jacobs and Margaret Talev asked Trump.

To which Trump responded, "We are protecting pre-existing conditions. And it'll be every good — bit as good on pre-existing conditions as Obamacare"