Price tries to reassure critics
Says he wants to ‘lower the temperature’ on health care
WASHINGTON — Offering reassurances, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for health secretary said Wednesday the new administration won’t “pull the rug out” from those covered by “Obamacare.” Democrats were unimpressed, noting a lack of specifics.
Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga., also told the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee that Trump is “absolutely not” planning to launch an overhaul of Medicare as he tries to revamp cov- erage under President Barack Obama’s signature health care law. He acknowledged that high prescription drug costs are a problem, but did not endorse the idea of government directly negotiating prices.
Throughout the nearly four-hour hearing, Democrats peppered Price with questions about his stock trades. The sometimes confusing exchanges involved different transactions under distinct circumstances. Price, who has signed a government ethics agreement to sell his stock, was clearly annoyed by the suggestion that he profited from his official position. “I’m offended by that insinuation,” he told Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.
Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., lauded Price’s performance, but ranking Democrat Patty Murray of Washington said she remains deeply concerned. No Democrats offered support for the 62-year-old nominee, an orthopedic surgeon-turned-legislator.
Price said he wants to reopen a bipartisan dialogue on health care centered on practical solutions.
“One of my goals in this entire debate is to lower the temperature,” said Price, speaking in even, measured tones. “People need to know that no rug is going to be pulled out from under them.”
Alexander said he took that to mean that the Trump administration will be careful, and not attempt to repeal the 2010 health care law without a replacement ready to go. The Affordable Care Act is providing coverage to about 20 million people, and government as well as private experts say repealing without a concrete substitute would make millions uninsured and spike premiums.
Trump has promised to unveil his plan when Price is confirmed.
Price faced pointed questions about Trump’s evolving stance. Trump campaigned on repealing Obama’s law, but at times he’s sounded more like a liberal. For example, he made recent comments about providing insurance for everyone and taking on the drug companies.