Tom Price refuses to say he supports Medicaid block grants, privatizing Medicare
Price repeatedly said he wanted a healthcare system that was affordable and accessible for every American, but gave no policy specifics.
Despite several Democratic attempts during his second confirmation hearing Tuesday, Rep. Tom Price, R-Georgia, would not guarantee that coverage for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries would be left alone under his administration if confirmed as Secretary of Health and Human Services. But when it came to specifics, he was equally hard to pin down.
As chairman of the House Budget Committee, Price has supported Medicaid block grants, which gives states a fixed amount for low-income beneficiaries. Medicaid is currently an open-ended entitlement program. But what he did as a representative of Congress should not be taken as a signal of what he would do as HHS secretary, Price said.
"You cut Medicaid by a trillion dollars in your 2017 budget," said Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Missouri. "You've been chosen because of your beliefs, reflected as chairman of the budget committee."
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Multiple senators questioned Price about his stance on block grants for Medicaid after President Donald Trump's senior adviser Kellyanne Conway on Sunday said the administration's plan to replace the Affordable Care Act would include block grants.
As for Medicare, Price also denied that he would move to privatize the program, despite past support for such ideas,
During close to four hours of questioning by the Senate Finance Committee, Price repeatedly said he wanted a healthcare system that was affordable and accessible for every American, but gave no policy specifics.
Menendez said Price would not only be an administrator of what Congress wanted, but would be setting policy.
"Will you commit that no one will lose insurance?" asked Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio.
[Also: HHS Secretary nominee Tom Price letter to Medicare appeared to benefit top contributor]
Price continued to maintain that all would have access to healthcare coverage. Individuals with pre-existing coverage would not be abandoned he said.
Democrats said returning to high risk pools was an unaffordable option for beneficiaries, as premiums are up to 200 percent higher than for standard health plans.
Price said beneficiaries can group together to negotiate with insurers as one way to lower premiums.
Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pennsylvania, also grilled price Price for supporting Medicaid funding cuts of 40 percent, a reduction of $1 trillion.
"You're all looking at this in a silo," Price said, adding that the system that would be put in place would not hurt Americans.
Last week, Price faced questions by Democratic members of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. Many questions were aimed at Price's healthcare industry investments, made when he was a member of Congress.
Senate Finance Committee members have until 8 p.m. Tuesday night to submit written questions before a vote is scheduled.
Finance Committee Ranking Member Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon said Price and Republicans represented healthcare that was for the "healthy and wealthy."
On the other hand, the committee chairman, Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, said the country couldn't continue the way it has under Obamacare and called the hammering questions of the nominee by Democrats, "liberal claptrap."
Twitter: @SusanJMorse
