Secretary Price Supports House Efforts to Repeal, Replace Obamacare

WASHINGTON, March 7 -- The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services issued the following news release:

Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, M.D. sent a letter to Rep. Greg Walden, Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and Rep. Kevin Brady, Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee today supporting their efforts to take the first steps to dismantle Obamacare.

Obamacare has brought the American people rising premiums, unaffordable deductibles, fewer insurance choices, and higher taxes. Americans were promised lower healthcare costs, but in reality, since Obamacare was instituted, premiums have risen by over 40 percent on average, and in some places have risen by over 100 percent. In 2015, nearly 20 million Americans found health insurance so unaffordable that they instead paid the IRS penalty or applied for a hardship exemption. Americans were promised they could keep their healthcare plans under Obamacare, but in reality, millions lost plans and doctors that they liked. Americans were promised that Obamacare would increase competition between insurance providers, but in reality, insurers have fled the failing Obamacare exchanges, leaving people in one third of American counties, and five entire states with the "choice" of only one insurer. Americans were promised that Obamacare would not raise taxes on the middle-class, but in reality, Obamacare contained hundreds of billions of taxes on the middle class. Now is the time to restore healthcare back to the people and to save our healthcare system from inevitable collapse.

Now is the time for the Administration and Congress to take bold action. In his letter Secretary Price wrote, in part: "These proposals offer patient-centered solutions that will provide all Americans with access to affordable, quality healthcare, promote innovation, and offer peace of mind for those with pre-existing conditions."

The letter can be found below:

March 7, 2017

Hon. Greg Walden

Chairman

Committee on Energy & Commerce

2125 Rayburn House Office Building

Washington, DC 20515

Hon. Kevin Brady

Chairman

Committee on Ways & Means

1102 Longworth House Office Building

Washington, DC 20515

Dear Chairman Walden and Chairman Brady:

On behalf of the Trump Administration, I am writing in support of the reconciliation recommendations recently released for consideration by your Committees. Together, they align with the President's goal of rescuing Americans from the failures of the Affordable Care Act. These proposals offer patient-centered solutions that will provide all Americans with access to affordable, quality healthcare, promote innovation, and offer peace of mind for those with pre-existing conditions.

Your legislative proposals are consistent with the President's commitment to repeal the Affordable Care Act; provide advanceable, refundable tax credits for Americans who do not already receive such tax benefits through health insurance offered by their employers; put Medicaid on a sustainable path and remove burdensome requirements in the program to better target resources to those most in need; empower patients and put healthcare dollars and decisions back into their hands by expanding the use of health savings accounts; ensure a stable transition away from the Affordable Care Act; and protect people with pre-existing conditions.

Achieving all of the President's goals to reform healthcare will require more than what is possible in a budget reconciliation bill, as procedural rules on this type of legislation prevent inclusion of key policies such as selling insurance across state lines, lowering drug costs for patients, providing additional flexibility in Medicaid for states to manage their programs in a way that best serves their most vulnerable citizens, or medical legal reforms. Your proposals represent a necessary and important first step toward fulfilling our promises to the American people. We look forward to working with you throughout the legislative process, making necessary technical and appropriate changes, and ensuring eventual arrival of this important bill on the President's desk.

Yours truly,

Thomas E. Price, M.D.

Secretary

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