It’s Official: Congressman Tom Price To Lead HHS
Congressman Tom Price has officially been tapped to take the helm of Health and Human Services. The doctor turned Congressman who authored the Republicans’ most comprehensive alternative to Obamacare will now be in charge of overseeing the program and/or its replacement. Congressman Price’s statement on his nomination is as follows:
“It is an honor to be nominated to serve our nation as Secretary of Health and Human Services. Thanks to President-Elect Donald Trump and Vice President-Elect Mike Pence for their confidence. I am humbled by the incredible challenges that lay ahead and enthusiastic for the opportunity to be a part of solving them on behalf of the American people. There is much work to be done to ensure we have a health care system that works for patients, families, and doctors; that leads the world in the cure and prevention of illness; and that is based on sensible rules to protect the well-being of the country while embracing its innovative spirit.
“The citizens of Georgia’s Sixth Congressional District have given me the privilege of representing them in Congress. I am so proud and grateful to live in and work on behalf of such a wonderful community and hope to continue serving our fellow citizens in this new role.”
Congressman Price must be confirmed by the Senate, at which point he would resign his House seat. This will set up a special election to fill Georgia-6. Cody gave a list a couple of weeks ago of possible replacements. We’ll have a lot more to say about that later. For now, this post is about Congressman Price.
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Charlie
Founder of GeorgiaPol.com; Now weekly columnist Very interested in Georgia and Georginas. Interest in politics is waning daily.
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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., today released the following statement applauding the nomination of U.S. Representative Tom Price, M.D., R-Ga.-06, as secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services:
“Tom Price is a true leader in Congress and an exceptional choice to head up the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. With his background as a practicing physician, Tom will bring real world experience and a single-minded focus on the needs of patients to this vital role. I fully support his nomination and am confident that he will put the department back to work for the American people.
“Tom doesn’t just talk about replacing Obamacare — he’s put years of thought and hard work into developing a plan that can actually make health care more affordable and accessible. By nominating Tom to fill this post, President-elect Trump is signaling his commitment to repealing Obamacare. With Tom at the helm, we can begin implementing free-market principles that will increase choice and lower the cost of health care for families and businesses.
“I congratulate my good friend and a great Georgian, Tom Price.”
I’m not going to lie. I always knew that is was a possibility, but didn’t think it would happen. I will now apologize and take back most of the negative things I said about Trump.
Price is a good pick. The republican health care bill will be based on the Price plan. Jindal would have been good also but his strong criticism of Trump took him out of contention.
Charlie, I bet you a steak at Ruth’s Chris’ that Mister OMGBAMACARE Price will simply rearrange the deck chairs and call it ‘repeal’.
Because that is what sociopathic humans do, they lie.
I tell you what I do like; Price, Sessions, whoever, Trump is pulling some tenured Congressmen out of Congress/lines of succession, and putting them a tight leash. To be honest, it is one of the best things Trump can do; bust up the Good old Boy Monopoly on power in Congress.
I tell ya, that man Trump is an idiot savant!
“Price will simply rearrange the deck chairs and call it ‘repeal’. ”
The Price plan keeps a couple components of Obamacare but otherwise it’s quite different. For example, it replaces the exchanges with a refundable tax credit. States are given much more flexibility on Medicaid and there is a private option for Medicare.
PS: “Refundable tax credit”. Yeah for those who file long form. Like the top 15% income bracket. Sounds like a bold plan to address the bottom 85%’s needs.
And was it not the GOP controlled state legislators that refused to participate in Expanded Medicare, which has resulted in decimating the health care system for poor working whites in rural areas?
Uh huh. PriceCare™. Nice ring to it. kerChing.
and what of the mandate? doesn’t the Price plan rely instead on state-based high risk pools? i.e. let’s just go back to many more uninsured with conditions that can no longer be covered? i know DJT has indicated he wants to maintain the pre-existing condition coverage, but the insurance co.s will offer little room for negotiation. predicted winner: insurance companies, the status quo. predicted losers: sick people, individuals with income less than 300% of the poverty line. the poorer, the less likely you will get affordable access to care, much less quality care. at least there were a couple of years where some of those folks got to see doctors, even if the supply of docs was strained. nice to know the country freaked out bc there was some spikes in costs associated with the illnesses that were kept underground and hidden during the Age of Insurer Choice.
The problem with the mandate is that it only tries to address one of the many problems with health care. Cost. But what it does is say health care costs too much so let’s figure out a way to pay for it. That is a fundamentally flawed way to look at the real problem of increasing costs in health care.
The anwer is to ask why health care cost so much and address the cost drivers. Not just say, “oh well. It’s expensive so let’s figure out a way to pay for it.” You have to address the cost drivers of health insurance. Dr. Price’s bill does that.
well, one main way the ACA addressed costs was the focus on preventive care. and then there were rewards for insurers and providers who developed cost-savings through increased care coordination and other information systems/data use. and then there was disclosure and incentives regarding insurer’s administrative costs. so… it’s not like the ACA was blind to cost issues. i’ll research how Mr. Price’s plan addresses cost, but you know the easiest way to reduce costs?: drop the sick ppl out of coverage. sure hope that’s not the plan.
Nah, the easiest way to reduce costs is to kill all of the lawyers 👿
Seriously though the reversal of the Citizens United decision or an override by a law/amendment making individuals the only entities with constitutional rights and also a reversal of money “donated” considered free speech. Until this happens then just one example is that big pharma and their ilk will keep us subsidizing the rest of the world. This will not happen under this administration coupled with a Republican controlled legislature.
“you know the easiest way to reduce costs?: drop the sick ppl out of coverage. sure hope that’s not the plan.”
That is not the plan at all. The plan is to reduce costs across the board so that it is easier to cover people who have per-exsisting issues or are currently deemed too risky by insurers.
that intent sounds well and good and all, but i still haven’t uncovered any actual plan.
The old system is insurers want you money until you get sick, i.e “deemed too risky by insurers.” Then your rates are quadrupled or worst until you are Priced out and forced to drop health insurance. Usually when you are laid up, recovering, not working and have no income. Meanwhile the same insurer is wasting big bucks of your premiums filling your mail box with expensive marketing mailers asking you to sign up for their insurance.
It would be nice to have a system that rewarded long time subscribers better rates as an incentive to stay with their insurers. And yes, I think insurers should be more responsible with their premiums.
No one should be priced out of the health insurance market becasue they have a pre-exsisting condition or become sick. Congressman Price’s Empowering Patients First Act makes it so that the insurance providers are more accountable to the end user and not some HR person. The idea is that insurers need to compete for individuals’ business. If you change jobs or lose your job you should be able to keep you health insurance. Price’s plan allows for that.
It also allows for greater flexibility with groups of people that may want to pool together to purchase health insurance. That is currently illegal.
“Charlie, I bet you a steak at Ruth’s Chris’ that Mister OMGBAMACARE Price will simply rearrange the deck chairs and call it ‘repeal’.”
I’ll take your steak. Because the only reason Tom is going to HHS is to repeal and replace Obamacare.
Repeal yes, replace ???????
Technically he can’t repeal or replace anything as a cabinet head. He can only implement what congress passes and what the administration crafts and molds by presidential memo or order, plus by where he focuses his budget items.
He’s going so he can control the implementation of whatever the ADA becomes in the next congress.
Just saying.
Argh! I was hoping no one would point that fact out. Thanks a lot for blowing my steak dinner, cousin!
He will be the person writing TrumpCare and the person working with Congress to push it through. Just saying.
Again, “controlling it implementation”, but not technically the one repealing it. It’s a more powerful position on the healthcare front.
If the GOP and future Sec. Price wants to fully control what the new form of healthcare is, they have to do it as a reform, not a repeal. A repeal and any brand new healthcare bill do not fall under reconciliation rules in the Senate. Schumer will hold the 60 vote count until he gets want he can out of the house bill that DHC does want. A reform of the ADA on the other hand – if written correctly as a funding source or budget line items within the HHS, can pass the senate on a 5o count vote with a VP as the tie breaker.
What’s more import to the GOP? Saying they repealed and replaced a bill with something they have to comprise and water down to get on Trumps desk to sign so he can have a nice camera ready photo-op to the public saying “see..”, or a reformed program still called ‘Obamacare’ by most of the public but the GOP fully controls?
I may know better than most. A repeal and replace is what is in the works.
I will concede the point if you have an inside track. Making the ‘replace’ 60 vote proof or a full budget bill is going to be tricky.
It may take time and it may take multiple smaller bills that rips it a part a little at the time but Obamacare will be repealed.
Also, Obamacare was passed with reconciliation which only need 51 votes. It can be repealed the same way with 51 votes. Just saying.
The tyranny of the minority rides again. Grand.
Using the original house bill, it was passed by the Senate in December of 2009 on a 60-39 vote for cloture and then a full senate vote also of 60-39 which allowed it to go back to the house if I remember right. It then morphed with a secondary house bill the Senate has passed on heath education reform that went back to the house with the changes as ‘budget items’, which placed it under reconciliation, I belief.
See; tricky…
Yes it can repeal it under reconciliation, but can they get it replaced as a full budget bill keeping the items people want, like life time coverage for any condition with out limits and having your kids on your plan until the age of 25, ect, is the question.
I was around in 09 so I know how it was passed. And yes it’s possible to replace it with reconciliation. The democrats pulled every tool out in their tool box to pass it. The republicans will do the same to repeal it.
The few things that are good like keeping kids (a 25 year old is not a kid. I owned a house at that age) on their parents health converge will be put into a replacement.
You are not Charlie.
Plus I won’t eat there free twice, that would be so DC insider.
Congrats to Congressman Tom Price, well deserved.
Ironic that Price is being appointed by a guy who ran on the very issues used against him by his first opponent as an incumbent congressman. That primary opponent ran an outsider populist campaign based on opposition to immigration and trade deals like NAFTA. He only got about 17% of the vote, but John Konop who I opposed vehemently in 2006 was an early adopter of protectionist policies that now seem almost mainstream. Funny how politics plays out sometimes.
If Konop wasn’t just a jack ass he might have done better.
Ideas/issues subservient to (cult of) personality. Prescient, indeed.
“Ideas/issues” doesn’t make up for jasckassery.
Washington, D.C. –Rep. Tom Graves (R-GA-14) today issued the following statement after President-elect Donald Trump nominated Rep. Tom Price, M.D. (R-GA-06) for secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services:
“I can’t think of anyone better than Dr. Price to lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. As a practicing physician for more than 20 years, Tom knows the importance of the doctor-patient relationship and understands better than most why we need to keep the federal government out of that relationship. As a congressman, Tom led the charge to repeal Obamacare and replace it with a free-market system that increases choice, drives down premiums and puts patients first. He will do a great job implementing President-elect Trump’s vision of restoring health care freedom and reversing the Obama administration’s one-size-fits-all health care policies.
I have been pleasantly surprised at Trump’s cabinet picks so far, and this is the best one yet! Shows he is serious about repealing and replacing the ACA with a better, more affordable market-based plan.
What does “market-based” mean to you?
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (GA-01) released the following statement applauding President-elect Donald Trump’s nomination of Congressman Tom Price (GA-06) as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services:
“Tom Price is absolutely the best man for the job and I applaud President-elect Trump’s decision. As a fellow health care professional, Tom has experienced firsthand the destruction of our health care system and knows how important it is to end the Obamacare train wreck once and for all. He has already created conservative solutions to accomplish this and repair our broken health care system to empower patients with more choices, lower costs and better services. I am confident Tom will work with Congress to ensure this becomes a reality.
“It has been an honor to work with Tom. I congratulate my friend and I am excited to continue our work together in his new role to deliver the health care system Americans deserve.”
I guess we just let it become insolvent and just do nothing. Or tax all those evil rich people.
Or adjust the payroll cap yearly on an inflation/cost of living matric and tax everyone’s first X amount of earnings like they do now.
On the upside, the ‘evil’ rich people will be only slightly inconvenienced (sar).
Of course that is an option, but that will not fully pay for the current trajectory of increased costs in Medicare. So in reality it isn’t a viable long term option. It’s a worthless band aide.
You saw the (sar) right… 😉
Is HR 2300 the model for TrumpCare (those words together seem oxymoronic, somehow)?
Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Jody Hice (GA-10) issued the following statement after the announcement that President-elect Donald Trump will nominate Congressman Tom Price, M.D. (GA-06) to serve as Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS):
“Obamacare has been a complete and utter disaster since day one. As a leading voice in the House to repeal and replace this deeply flawed law, along with his broad healthcare and budget experience, Congressman Price is the right choice to reverse Obamacare’s failures.
As a fellow Georgian and having served alongside Congressman Price, I am confident that he will lead the way in the Trump Administration to implement real, patient-centered healthcare solutions as Secretary of HHS. I look forward to working closely with him to bring our Nation’s healthcare system into the 21st century.”
Here is the Price Plan (again). For those concerned about millions losing/unable to get coverage or other such silliness check “Protections for Patients” pages 20 to 22. The Price plan is not the final deal but it is the framework.
http://abetterway.speaker.gov/_assets/pdf/ABetterWay-HealthCare-PolicyPaper.pdf
It’s difficult to say who, if anyone, will lose Medicaid because we don’t have specifics and because much of the control will be given to states. We do know funding will be quite different. States will have the option of per capital or as a block grant.
I think there is an assumption here that he gets confirmed. I personally think its career suicide to have accepted. Democrats are going to tar and feather him for wanting to privatize Medicare (he wants to and has drafted legislation numerous times to do so). While the HHS Secretary doesnt “make” laws, they certainly write most of the rules and how to implement them. Also, when this all crashes and burns which it certainly will, who is Trump going to pin it on…himself? He will throw Price under the bus (which would be fitting in my mind) as fast as he can.
As for the ACA price controls…they are achieved by moving away from a fee for service model to one that is more heavily weighted to outcomes. Tom Price wants to do away with that, so to call him “serious” about cost controls would not be a serious conversation (not that many have been these days). Price will be the face of Trump breaking his #1 promise…not to touch Medicare or Social Security. Paul Ryan and Tom Price aint down with that Donald, in case you’re paying attention
Sounds like some serious sour grapes. I’ll try not shed a tear for you.