Trump administration officials on healthcare, 2017
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President Donald Trump's main healthcare policy initiative was working to fulfill his campaign promise to repeal and replace the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), commonly known as Obamacare. He expressed his support for the House and Senate bills that proposed modifying parts of the ACA. The House passed its bill—the American Health Care Act of 2017—but members of the Senate were unable to agree on a final replacement plan, leaving most of the provisions of the ACA in place. Congress removed the law's individual mandate, which took effect in January 2019.[1]
In October 2017, Trump issued an executive order directing members of his Cabinet to create rules that would allow small businesses to collectively buy health insurance through association health plans, expand short-term health coverage, and expand the use of Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs). The order did not make direct changes to existing health insurance rules; instead, it directed agencies to consider new rules that would be subject to a notice and comment period.
The Trump administration also announced that it would end cost-sharing reimbursements. The administration announced that it would not make the payments scheduled for October 18, 2017, stating that the payments were not formally appropriated by Congress and were, therefore, illegal. Under the ACA, insurers who offered plans on the exchanges were required to provide the reductions, even without reimbursements from the federal government. Trump said that he was committed to passing a bill to repeal and replace the ACA. Before signing the executive order on October 12, 2017, Trump said, “Today is only the beginning. In the coming months, we plan to take new measures to provide our people with even more relief and more freedom. … And we're going to also pressure Congress very strongly to finish the repeal and the replace of Obamacare once and for all. We will have great healthcare in our country.”[2]
The comments of the members of the Trump administration on healthcare policy appear below.
Trump administration officials on healthcare
President Donald Trump
Trump on healthcare
- In his first address to Congress on February 28, 2017, President Donald Trump discussed his vision for America's healthcare system:
| “ | Here are the principles that should guide the Congress as we move to create a better health-care system for all Americans:
First, we should ensure that Americans with preexisting conditions have access to coverage, and that we have a stable transition for Americans currently enrolled in the health-care exchanges. Secondly, we should help Americans purchase their own coverage, through the use of tax credits and expanded health savings accounts — but it must be the plan they want, not the plan forced on them by the government. Thirdly, we should give our great state governors the resources and flexibility they need with Medicaid to make sure no one is left out. Fourthly, we should implement legal reforms that protect patients and doctors from unnecessary costs that drive up the price of insurance — and work to bring down the artificially high price of drugs and bring them down immediately. Finally, the time has come to give Americans the freedom to purchase health insurance across state lines — creating a truly competitive national marketplace that will bring cost way down and provide far better care.[3] |
” |
| —President Donald Trump[4] | ||
- During a press conference on January 11, 2017, Trump criticized pharmaceutical companies. He said, "The other thing we have to do is create new bidding procedures for the drug industry, because they’re getting away with murder. PhRMA, PhRMA has a lot of lobbyists and a lot of power and there’s very little bidding on drugs."[5]
Trump on the AHCA
- On June 25, 2017, Trump confirmed in an interview on "Fox and Friends" that he called the House's healthcare bill mean. Referring to former President Obama's comment that tweaks to the AHCA "cannot change the fundamental meanness at the core of this legislation," Trump stated, "He actually used my term, mean. That was my term. Because I want to see, and I speak from the heart, that’s what I want to see. I want to see a bill with heart."[6]
- On May 4, 2017, during a ceremony in the Rose Garden, Trump praised leaders in the House for crafting the AHCA and for getting the votes to pass the bill. Trump said, "I went through two years of campaigning, and I’m telling you, no matter where I went, people were suffering so badly with the ravages of Obamacare. And I will say this, that as far as I’m concerned, your premiums, they’re going to start to come down. We’re going to get this passed through the Senate. I feel so confident. Your deductibles, when it comes to deductibles, they were so ridiculous that nobody got to use their current plan -- this nonexistent plan that I heard so many wonderful things about over the last three or four days. After that, I mean, it’s -- I don’t think you’re going to hear so much. Right now, the insurance companies are fleeing. It’s been a catastrophe. And this is a great plan. I actually think it will get even better. And this is, make no mistake, this is a repeal and replace of Obamacare. Make no mistake about it. Make no mistake. And I think, most importantly, yes, premiums will be coming down. Yes, deductibles will be coming down. But very importantly, it’s a great plan. And ultimately, that’s what it’s all about. We knew that wasn’t going to work. I predicted it a long time ago. I said, it’s failing. And now, it’s obvious that it’s failing. It’s dead. It’s essentially dead. If we don’t pay lots of ransom money over to the insurance companies it would die immediately. So what we have is something very, very incredibly well-crafted. Tell you what, there is a lot of talent standing behind me. An unbelievable amount of talent, that I can tell you. I mean it."[7]
- On March 24, 2017, after a failed attempt to pass the AHCA, Trump said, "I've been saying for the last year and a half that the best thing we can do politically speaking is let Obamacare explode. It is exploding right now. Many states have big problems -- almost all states have big problems. I was in Tennessee the other day, and they’ve lost half of their state in terms of an insurer; they have no insurer. And that's happened to many other places. I was in Kentucky the other day, and similar things are happening. So Obamacare is exploding. With no Democrat support, we couldn't quite get there. We were just a very small number of votes short in terms of getting our bill passed. A lot of people don't realize how good our bill was because they were viewing phase one. But when you add phase two -- which was mostly the signings of Secretary Price, who's behind me -- and you add phase three, which I think we would have gotten -- it became a great bill. Premiums would have gone down and it would have been very stable, it would have been very strong. But that's okay. But we're very, very close. And again, I think what will happen is Obamacare, unfortunately, will explode. It's going to have a very bad year. Last year you had over a 100 percent increases in various places. In Arizona, I understand it's going up very rapidly again, like it did last year; last year it was 116 percent. Many places, 50, 60, 70 percent, I guess it averaged -- whatever the average was -- very, very high. And this year should be much worse for Obamacare. So what would be really good, with no Democrat support, is if the Democrats, when it explodes -- which it will soon -- if they got together with us and got a real healthcare bill. I would be totally up to do it. And I think that's going to happen. I think the losers are Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer, because now they own Obamacare. They own it -- 100 percent own it. And this is not a Republican healthcare, this is not anything but a Democrat healthcare. And they have Obamacare for a little while longer, until it ceases to exist, which it will at some point in the near future. And just remember this is not our bill, this is their bill. Now, when they all become civilized and get together, and try and work out a great healthcare bill for the people of this country, we're open to it. We're totally open to it."[8]
- On March 13, 2017, during a listening session on healthcare, Trump discussed the plan to replace the ACA. He said, "Many Americans lost their plans and doctors altogether, and one-third of the counties -- think of it, one-third only have one insurer left. The insurance companies are fleeing. They’re gone; so many gone. The House bill to repeal and replace Obamacare will provide you and your fellow citizens with more choices -- far more choices at lower cost. Americans should pick the plan they want. Now they’ll be able to pick the plan they want, they’ll be able to pick the doctor they want. They’ll be able to do a lot of things that the other plan was supposed to give and it never gave. You don’t pick your doctor, you don’t pick your plan -- you remember that one. We’re not going to have one-size-fits-all. Instead, we’re going to be working to unleash the power of the private marketplace to let insurers come in and compete for your business. And you’ll see rates go down, down, down, and you’ll see plans go up, up, up. You’ll have a lot of choices. You’ll have plans that nobody is even thinking of today. They will have plans that today nobody has even thought about, because the market is going to enforce that, with millions and millions of people wanting healthcare. More competition and less regulation will finally bring down the cost of care, and I think it will bring it down very significantly. Unfortunately, it takes a while to get there, because you have to let that marketplace kick in, and it’s going to take a little while to get there. Once it does, it’s going to be a thing of beauty. I wish it didn’t take a year or two years, but that’s what’s going to happen, and that’s the way it works. But we’re willing to go through that process."[9]
- On March 10, 2017, Trump said, "We must act now to save Americans from the imploding Obamacare disaster. Premiums have skyrocketed by double-digits and triple-digits in some cases. As an example, Arizona -- which I talk about all the time -- 116 percent increase and it’s going up a lot higher. ’17 would be a disaster for Obamacare. That’s the year it was meant to explode, because Obama won’t be here. That was when it was supposed to be -- it will get even worse. As bad as it is now, it’ll get even worse. Choices are disappearing as one insurer drops out after another. Today, one-third of all counties now have only one insurer on the Obamacare exchanges, and the exchanges themselves are a disaster. The House repeal-and-replace plan ends the Obamacare tax hikes, cutting taxes by hundreds of billions of dollars. It eliminates the Obamacare mandate that forces Americans to buy government-approved plans. ... It provides states with flexibility over how Medicaid dollars are spent, giving power from Washington and back to local government, which we all want to see. We’re going to do a much better job. And the plan empowers individual Americans to buy the health insurance that is right for them, not the plan forced on them by government."[10]
- On March 9, 2017, Trump tweeted: "Despite what you hear in the press, healthcare is coming along great. We are talking to many groups and it will end in a beautiful picture!"[11]
- In a series of tweets on March 7, 2017, Trump discussed the American Health Care Act of 2017. He wrote, "Our wonderful new Healthcare Bill is now out for review and negotiation. ObamaCare is a complete and total disaster - is imploding fast! ... Don't worry, getting rid of state lines, which will promote competition, will be in phase 2 & 3 of healthcare rollout. @foxandfriends. ... I am working on a new system where there will be competition in the Drug Industry. Pricing for the American people will come way down!"[12][13][14]
Trump on the ACA
- On July 31, 2017, Trump tweeted, "If ObamaCare is hurting people, & it is, why shouldn't it hurt the insurance companies & why should Congress not be paying what public pays?"[15]
- On July 29, 2017, Trump tweeted, "If a new HealthCare Bill is not approved quickly, BAILOUTS for Insurance Companies and BAILOUTS for Members of Congress will end very soon!"[16]
- On July 24, 2017, the day before the Senate was expected to hold a procedural vote to begin debating healthcare, Trump said in a speech, "Every Republican running for office promised immediate release from this disastrous law...so far Senate Republicans have not done their job in ending the Obamacare nightmare.”[17]
- On June 30, 2017, Trump said that the Senate should vote to repeal the ACA if they were unable to pass the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017 (BCRA). He tweeted, "If Republican Senators are unable to pass what they are working on now, they should immediately REPEAL, and then REPLACE at a later date!"[18]
- On June 24, 2017, Trump tweeted, "Democrats slam GOP healthcare proposal as Obamacare premiums & deductibles increase by over 100%. Remember keep your doctor, keep your plan?"[19]
- On March 24, 2017, after a failed attempt to pass the AHCA, Trump was asked if it was "fair to Americans to let Obamacare explode?" Trump replied, "Well, it's going to happen. There's not much you can do about it. It's going to -- bad things are going to happen to Obamacare. There's not much you can do to help it. I've been saying that for a year and a half. I said, look, eventually it's not sustainable. The insurance companies are leaving -- you know that. They're leaving one by one, as quick as you can leave. And you have states, in some cases, who will not be covered. So there's no way out of that. But the one thing that was happening, as we got closer and closer, everybody was talking about how wonderful it was, and now we'll go back to real life and people will see how bad it is. And it's getting much worse. You know, I said the other day, when President Obama left -- '17, he knew he wasn’t going to be here; '17 is going to be a very, very bad year for Obamacare. Very, very bad. You're going to have explosive premium increases. And the deductibles are so high people don’t even get to use it. So they'll go with that for a little while. And I honestly believe -- I know some of the Democrats, and they're good people -- I honestly believe the Democrats will come to us and say, look, let's get together and get a great healthcare bill or plan that's really great for the people of our country. And I think that's going to happen."[8]
- While speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference on February 24, 2017, Trump said, "We also inherited a failed health care law that threatens our medical system with absolute and total catastrophe. Now, I’ve been watching -- and nobody says it -- but Obamacare doesn’t work, folks. I mean, I could say -- I could talk -- it doesn’t work. And now people are starting to develop a little warm heart, but the people that you’re watching, they’re not you. They’re largely -- many of them are the side that lost. You know, they lost the election. It’s like, how many elections do we have to have? They lost the election. But I always say, Obamacare doesn’t work. And these same people two years, and a year ago, were complaining about Obamacare. And the bottom line: We’re changing it. We’re going to make it much better. We’re going to make it less expensive. We’re going to make it much better. Obamacare covers very few people. And remember, deduct from the number all of the people that had great health care that they loved, that was taken away from them; was taken away from them. Millions of people were very happy with their health care. They had their doctor, they had their plan. Remember the lie -- 28 times. 'You can keep your doctor, you can keep your plan' -- over and over and over again you heard it. So we’re going to repeal and replace Obamacare. And I tell Paul Ryan and all of the folks that we’re working with very hard -- Dr. Tom Price, very talented guy -- but I tell them from a purely political standpoint, the single-best thing we can do is nothing. Let it implode completely -- it’s already imploding. You see the carriers are all leaving. I mean, it’s a disaster. But two years don’t do anything. The Democrats will come to us and beg for help. They’ll beg, and it’s their problem. But it’s not the right thing to do for the American people. It’s not the right thing to do."[20]
- On February 18, 2017, Trump said, "We are going to be submitting in a couple of weeks a great healthcare plan that's going to take the place of the disaster known as ObamaCare. It will be repealed and replaced. Just so you understand, our plan will be much better healthcare at a much lower cost. OK? Nothing to complain about."[21]
During the 2016 presidential election, Trump advocated for healthcare reform based on free market principles. He said that he would repeal Obamacare, reduce barriers to the interstate sale of health insurance, institute a full tax deduction for insurance premium payments for individuals, make Health Saving Accounts inheritable, require price transparency, block-grant Medicaid to the states, and allow for more overseas drug providers through lowered regulatory barriers. Click here to read more of Trump's public comments on healthcare before and during the 2016 presidential election.
Vice President Mike Pence
Pence on healthcare
- The Trump campaign released a statement on November 14, 2016, detailing what Pence discussed at the Republican Governors Association Annual Conference. At the event, Pence "reiterated...Trump’s strong commitment to repeal and replace Obamacare and block grant Medicaid funding to state governments to encourage innovation that better delivers healthcare to eligible residents."[22]
Pence on the AHCA
- On June 3, 2017, Pence urged members of Congress to pass the American Health Care Act of 2017 (AHCA) during a political rally in Iowa. He said, "First and foremost, this summer, this Congress must come together and heed the president's leadership, and we must repeal and replace Obamacare. ... Once we repeal and replace Obamacare, we're going to roll our sleeves up, and working with these great leaders in Congress, we're going to pass one of the largest tax cuts in American history."[23]
- On May 4, 2017, after the House passed the AHCA, Pence said, "It was March, 2010, seven years ago, Democrats passed a government takeover of healthcare. And at that time, Republicans in Congress promised the American people that law would not stand. Today, thanks to the perseverance, the determination, and the leadership of President Donald Trump, and all the support of those gathered here, we’ve taken a historic first step to repeal and replace Obamacare and finally give the American people the kind of healthcare they deserve."[7]
- On March 19, 2017, while speaking to the Club for Growth, Pence discussed the AHCA. He said, "Make no mistake about it: Our plan is pro-growth and pro-freedom. It ends Obamacare’s individual and employer mandates by eliminating their penalties by the time the whole plan is unfurled. It repeals the taxes I just mentioned right out of the gate. It expands health savings accounts. It enacts the biggest reform in Medicaid since the creation of that program in 1965. These are the kind of solutions that conservatives like us have been talking about for years. And they’re now within our reach. And let me be blunt: We need your help to get this plan passed. The House is set to vote next week on the beginning of this process. It’s called the American Health Care Act, and it is a crucial step towards fulfilling our promise to repeal and replace Obamacare with something that actually works."[24]
- On March 12, 2017, Pence discussed the plan to replace the ACA, while speaking in Louisville, Kentucky. He said, "The truth is ordering every American to buy health insurance, whether they wanted it or not, was never the right solution for health care in this country. So we're going to start -- we’re going to repeal the mandates and taxes and penalties of Obamacare. We’re going to end Obamacare’s individual and employer mandates. We’re actually going to get rid of more than $500 billion in Obamacare’s tax increases. And we’re going to give Americans more choices. We’ll expand health savings accounts. We’ll give Americans a tax credit that will help people buy plans that they need at a price that they can afford. We’ll make sure that Americans with pre-existing conditions still have access to the coverage and the care that they need. And to all the parents here, we’ll make sure you can keep your kids on your plan until they’re 26 years of age. And most significantly in my view, we’ll give states like Kentucky the freedom and flexibility with Medicaid to meet the needs of your most vulnerable in the way that works here in Kentucky."[25]
Pence on the ACA
- On July 10, 2017, Pence said that the Senate should vote to repeal the ACA if they were unable to pass the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017 (BCRA). He said, “If they can’t pass this carefully crafted repeal and replace bill — do those two things simultaneously — we ought to just repeal only.”[26]
- On June 5, 2017, during a listening session on healthcare with women entrepreneurs, Pence said, "The truth is the American people are struggling under the weight of the failed policies of Obamacare, and it must go. Secretary Price and his team at Health and Human Services released a study just two weeks ago showing that in real numbers premiums have more than doubled under Obamacare since 2013, up 105 percent. Now, I was in the Congress when Obamacare was passed into law, and I remember all the promises -- if you like your doctor, you can keep them. Remember? If you like your insurance, you could keep it. But the central promise was the cost of health insurance would go down, and here we are that since 2013 alone premiums across this country have increased by 105 percent. America can't afford Obamacare any longer. President Trump and our administration are working every day with members of Congress, and we're not going to rest until we repeal and replace Obamacare with the kind of healthcare reform the American people deserve, healthcare reform built on consumer choice, on free-market principles, on state-based innovation, and a respect for the doctor-patient relationship."[27]
- On April 1, 2017, during a speech at Dynalab Inc, in Reynoldsburg, Ohio, Pence said, "The President and I know what all of you know -- that every day Obamacare survives is another day that the American people struggle. We all know the truth about this failed law. Higher prices, lost plans, fewer choices -- Obamacare is a burden on the people of Ohio and it’s a burden on Ohio’s job creators. That’s why the President has worked so hard to keep his promise to the American people to repeal and replace Obamacare with something that actually works. ... Obamacare is going to continue to explode, putting a great weight on millions of Americans. But the President and I have faith. We have faith that Congress is going to step and do the right thing. Even as we speak, I’m told the members of Congress are forging ahead -- working to craft legislation that will usher in the end of Obamacare. So be assured of this, folks here in the Buckeye State, when Congress finally decides to repeal and replace Obamacare, President Trump and I will be ready to work with them hand in glove. You can take it to the bank: President Trump is never going to stop fighting to keep the promises he made to the American people -- and we will make America great again. We will repeal and replace Obamacare and give the American people the world-class health-care they deserve."[28]
- On March 25, 2017, while speaking in Charleston, West Virginia, Pence said, "And I heard again from these West Virginia small business owners about the need to repeal and replace Obamacare. They told me how Obamacare stands in the way and stifles growth. It’s a burden not just to job creators, it’s also a burden to the American people. Folks, I wasn’t surprised to hear it because every promise of Obamacare has been broken. You all remember what they were. Seven years ago, after Obamacare was signed into law, they told us if you like your doctor, you can keep them -- not true. They said if you like your health plan, you can keep it -- not true. We were all told that the cost of health insurance would go down. Well, that one wasn’t true either. And West Virginia knows this better than most. It's heartbreaking to say that last year alone, Obamacare premiums here in West Virginia spiked by a stunning 32 percent. Over 40 percent of the state doesn’t have any choice of an insurance provider on the Obamacare exchange. West Virginians, and President Trump, we all know the truth about this failed law – that every day Obamacare survives is another day that America suffers. That’s why the President worked tirelessly over the last several weeks to get Congress to repeal and replace Obamacare. You saw his resolve to work with whoever he needed to work with, to call whoever he needed to call to get our plan across the finish line this week on Capitol Hill. I got to tell you, I was inspired by President Trump’s determination and commitment to keep his promise to the American people. And the President and I are grateful for Speaker Paul Ryan and all the House Republicans who stood with us in this effort to begin the end of Obamacare. But as we all learned yesterday, Congress just wasn’t ready. You saw it -- with 100 percent of House Democrats -- every single one -- and a handful of Republicans actually standing in the way of President Trump’s plans to repeal and replace Obamacare. We're back to the drawing board. You know, Nancy Pelosi, the leader of the Democrats in Congress, actually said yesterday was a victory for the American people. But West Virginia knows better. Yesterday wasn’t a victory for the American people. It was a victory for the status quo in Washington, D.C. And it was a victory for the disaster of Obamacare. But I promise you that victory won't last very long. The American people want Obamacare gone. And as the President said today, don't worry, America. He just tweeted this morning. Obamacare is going to continue to explode. And when Republicans and Democrats finally decide to come together and to repeal and replace Obamacare, we’ll be ready to get the job done."[29]
As a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Pence voted against the Affordable Care Act in 2010. Two years later, Pence voted for the repeal of the ACA. He also recommended that the ACA be replaced "with a plan that includes consumer-driven health care." Click here to read more of Pence's public comments on healthcare before and during the 2016 presidential election.
Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar
Azar on the ACA
- During an interview with WTHR in Indianapolis, Indiana, on February 20, 2018, Azar was asked about the Trump administration's plan to offer short-term health insurance. Azar said, "The Affordable Care Act is simply not delivering for people in this country. Back home in Indiana, individual market premiums increased 74 percent, almost doubling through the end of the Obama administration. No county in Indiana has more than two insurers. About half of our counties have just one. So, it's not working for folks, especially the 28 million Americans who are still uninsured even though they were promised they would get access to affordable health care insurance. The president, through an executive order, said he wants us to help people get affordable individualized insurance and so today, we're taking a step in the right direction. ... These are plans that could last up to 12 months. They're lower cost because they're not subject to all the regulations at the national level of Obamacare. They can be as low as one-third the cost of Obamacare individual insurance plans that are unsubsidized. We think this can be an important option for people who've been crowded out of that marketplace. Just an option for them to get lower cost insurance coverage. Probably works best for people who have a transition in employment, so they're between jobs and between coverage in their employers. People for whom the Obamacare insurance is just too expensive. And people who live in rural areas where the Obamacare that's available to them may not cover doctors or hospitals that are close enough to where they live."[30]
Azar on the Medicare
- During a speech on September 27, 2018, Azar discussed Medicare for all, saying, "When you drill down into the details, it’s clear that Medicare for all is a misnomer. What’s really being proposed is a single government system for every American that won’t resemble Medicare at all. ... The main thrust of Medicare for all is giving you a new government plan and taking away your other choices."[31]
Former Secretary of Health and Human Services Tom Price
Price on healthcare
- On March 10, 2017, Price released the following statement on Medicaid: “Our states know best how to care for their citizens – particularly their most vulnerable populations who receive healthcare coverage under Medicaid. Pursuant to the vision put forward by President Trump, the Department of Health and Human Services will be committed to doing everything within our authority to provide our nation’s governors and state legislatures with greater flexibility on how they utilize Medicaid resources in caring for those in need. This will include a review of existing waiver procedures to provide states the impetus and freedom to innovate and test new ideas to improve access to care and health outcomes. These efforts will complement the work Congress is already doing through the American Health Care Act and will do in subsequent legislation to deliver patient-centered healthcare reform.”[32]
- During his confirmation hearing, Price was asked about ensuring access to free contraception. He said, “I think contraception is absolutely imperative for many, many women and the system that we ought to have in place is one that allows women to be able to purchase the kind of contraception they desire.”[33]
- During his confirmation hearing, Price outlined his philosophy on federal healthcare policy in his opening statement. He said, “If confirmed, my obligation will be to carry to the Department of Health and Human Services both an appreciation for bipartisan, team-driven policymaking and what has been a lifetime commitment to work to improve the health and well-being of the American people. That commitment extends to what I call the six principles of health care – six principles that, if you think about it, all of us hold dear: affordability, accessibility, quality, choices, innovation, and responsiveness. We all want a health care system that’s affordable, that’s accessible to all, of the highest quality, with the greatest number of choices, driven by world-leading innovations, and responsive to the needs of the individual patient.”[34]
- During his confirmation hearing, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) asked if Price would commit to not using his administrative authority as HHS secretary to cut funding for Medicare or Medicaid. Price responded, “What the question presumes is money is the metric. In my belief, from a scientific standpoint, if patients aren’t receiving care, even though we’re providing the resources, then it doesn’t work for patients. I believe that the metric ought to be the care that the patients are receiving.”[34]
- During his confirmation hearing, Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) asked Price about the future of telemedicine. Price responded, “[T]elemedicine is one of the those exciting innovations … and is absolutely vital. I think we need to accentuate the ability to use telemedicine. Oftentimes, telemedicine is not paid for, it's not compensated. People eat, the clinicians eat those costs. They assume those costs that help the patient, yes, but make it so it's much more difficult for them to be able to provide the quality care necessary.”[34]
- In June 2016, at an American Enterprise Institute event, Price said, “They believe the government ought to be in control of health care. We believe that patients and doctors should be in control of health care.”[35]
Price on the AHCA
- On May 24, 2017, Price released the following statement after the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released a report analyzing the AHCA: “The CBO was wrong when they analyzed Obamacare’s effect on cost and coverage, and they are wrong again. In reality, Americans are paying more for fewer healthcare choices because of Obamacare, and that’s why the Trump Administration is committed to reforming healthcare. In a new analysis released just last night, HHS reported that premiums in the individual market have more than doubled since many of Obamacare’s regulations and mandates were implemented.”[36]
- On May 4, 2017, after the House passed the AHCA, Price released the following statement: "The status quo is failing the American people. Premiums are skyrocketing; choices are narrowing or vanishing; and patients do not have access to the care they need. Today, the House of Representatives has begun to deliver on President Trump’s promise to repeal a broken law and replace it with solutions that put patients in charge. This is a victory for the American people. The American Health Care Act is focused on patients. It is the first step toward a patient-centered healthcare system that will provide Americans access to quality, affordable healthcare coverage, empowering individuals and families to choose the coverage that best meets their needs, not what Washington forces them to buy, and equipping states to address the diverse needs of their most vulnerable populations. As Congress continues its work, the team at HHS will continue to support the reform effort by reviewing and initiating administrative actions to put patients, families and doctors in charge of medical decisions, bring down costs, and increase choices.”[37]
Price on the ACA
- During an interview on March 12, 2017, NBC's Chuck Todd asked Price if the AHCA "which leaves much of the Obamacare architecture in place, is an acknowledgement that the health care system can’t be run by the free market alone." Price replied, "No, not at all. And obviously this is a transition that we're going through, but the important thing is to appreciate that the market as it is right now is failing. Obamacare, the ACA, has failed. You’ve got premiums going up, you've got deductibles where people have an insurance card but they don't have any coverage, got a third of the counties in this nation that only have one insurer offering coverage, five states with only one insurer offering coverage. That's not a choice nor is it responsible to the individuals who are going to be selecting the coverage. So what we need to do is to fix this, to move in a direction that puts patients and families and doctors in charge of their health care, and not Washington, D.C."[38]
- During his confirmation hearing, Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) asked Price how the plan to simultaneous repeal and replace the ACA might work. Price said, “Nobody's interested in pulling the rug out from under anybody. We believe that it is absolutely imperative that individuals who have health coverage should be able to keep health coverage and move, hopefully, to greater choices and opportunities … I think there's been a lot of talk about individuals losing health coverage That is not our goal or our desire, nor is it our plan.”[34]
- In 2015, Price said, “It [the ACA] needs to be fully repealed, because the first step out of the gate for Obamacare is a step in the wrong direction and that is for government control over every aspect of health care, so it's hard to fix the system that they have put in place without ending that premise that government ought to be running and controlling health care.”[39]
- In 2009, Price first introduced HR 2300—the Empowering Patients First Act—as the legislative replacement for the ACA. The bill proposed tax credits based on age, which individuals and families could use to purchase insurance policies, as well as a one-time tax credit for health savings accounts. The issue of tax credits has been a flashpoint among conservatives in debates over healthcare, with some favoring tax deductions over credits. Price said that he supports the idea of tax credits “because we felt it was cleaner.” Other features of Price’s bill included allowing insurers to sell policies across state lines and groups of businesses to purchase “association health plans.” Grants would be provided to states to help cover healthcare costs for individuals with pre-existing conditions. Under the Empowering Patients First Act, individuals on government programs like Medicare and Medicaid would be able to opt out and use their tax credit to purchase private coverage. Much of the bill was featured in House Speaker Paul Ryan’s “A Better Way” agenda.[40]
See also
- The Trump administration on healthcare
- Affordable Care Act under the Trump administration, 2017
- 115th Congress on healthcare
- Restoring Americans' Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act of 2015
- Obamacare overview
Footnotes
- ↑ Breitbart, "Donald Trump: ‘I’m 100 Percent Behind’ Obamacare Replacement Plan," accessed March 22, 2017
- ↑ WhiteHouse.gov, "Remarks by President Trump at Signing of Executive Order Promoting Healthcare Choice and Competition," October 12, 2017
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ The Washington Post, "President Trump’s surprisingly presidential speech to the nation, annotated," February 28, 2017
- ↑ The Hill, "Trump calls for 'new bidding procedures' with drug companies," accessed January 13, 2017
- ↑ Talking Points Memo, "Trump Confirms He Called House Repeal Bill ‘Mean,’ Claims Obama Copied Him," June 25, 2017
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 WhiteHouse.gov, "Remarks by President Trump on Healthcare Vote in the House of Representatives," May 4, 2017
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 WhiteHouse.gov, "Remarks by President Trump on the Health Care Bill," March 24, 2017
- ↑ WhiteHouse.gov, "Remarks by President Trump in a Listening Session on Healthcare," March 13, 2017
- ↑ WhiteHouse.gov, "Remarks by President Trump in a Healthcare Discussion with Key House Committee Chairmen," March 10, 2017
- ↑ Twitter, "Donald J. Trump," accessed March 9, 2017
- ↑ Twitter, "Donald J. Trump," accessed March 9, 2017
- ↑ Twitter, "Donald J. Trump," accessed March 9, 2017
- ↑ Twitter, "Donald J. Trump," accessed March 9, 2017
- ↑ Twitter, "Donald J. Trump," July 31, 2017
- ↑ Twitter, "Donald J. Trump," July 29, 2017
- ↑ The Wall Street Journal, "Trump Urges GOP Senators to Overturn Affordable Care Act," July 24, 2017
- ↑ Twitter, "Donald J. Trump," June 30, 2017
- ↑ Twitter, "Donald J. Trump," June 24, 2017
- ↑ WhiteHouse.gov, "Remarks by President Trump at the Conservative Political Action Conference," accessed February 27, 2017
- ↑ The Hill, "Trump: ObamaCare replacement coming in 'a couple of weeks,'" accessed February 18, 2017
- ↑ Breitbart, "Pence Reaffirms Trump Commitments, Including to Repeal and Replace Obamacare, at Republican Governors Conference," November 14, 2016
- ↑ Reuters, "Vice President Pence urges Congress to complete Obamacare repeal," June 3, 2017
- ↑ WhiteHouse.gov, "Remarks by the Vice President at Club for Growth," March 19, 2017
- ↑ WhiteHouse.gov, "Remarks by the Vice President in Louisville, KY on Obamacare," March 12, 2017
- ↑ The Hill, "Pence endorses repeal and delay strategy on ObamaCare," July 10, 2017
- ↑ WhiteHouse.gov, "Remarks by the Vice President at a Listening Session on Healthcare with Women Entrepreneurs," June 5, 2017
- ↑ WhiteHouse.gov, "Remarks by the Vice President to Dynalab Inc, Reynoldsburg, OH," April 1, 2017
- ↑ WhiteHouse.gov, "Remarks by the Vice President in West Virginia," March 25, 2017
- ↑ WTHR.com, "INTERVIEW: Health and Human Services secretary discusses insurance plan options," February 20, 2018
- ↑ The Hill, "HHS chief dismisses 'Medicare for all' as 'too good to be true,'" September 27, 2018
- ↑ HHS.gov, "Secretary Price Committed to Greater Medicaid Flexibility for States," March 10, 2017
- ↑ The Hill, "Trump officials weigh fate of birth-control mandate," accessed February 21, 2017
- ↑ 34.0 34.1 34.2 34.3 Help.Senate.gov, "Statement of Congressman Tom Price, M.D. (GA-06)," accessed February 8, 2017
- ↑ NPR, "5 Things To Know About Rep. Tom Price's Health Care Ideas," accessed December 7, 2016
- ↑ HHS.gov, "HHS Secretary Price Statement on CBO Report," May 24, 2017
- ↑ HHS.gov, "Secretary Price Applauds House Passage of the American Health Care Act," May 4, 2017
- ↑ NBC News, "Meet The Press 03-12-17," March 12, 2017
- ↑ The Washington Examiner, "Here's how Trump's HHS pick wants to replace Obamacare," accessed December 7, 2016
- ↑ Congress.gov, "H.R. 2300 - Empowering Patients First Act," accessed December 7, 2016
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