Price Confirmed as Secretary of Health and Human Services

Early this morning, the Senate voted to approve, along party lines 52-47, the confirmation of Georgia Congressman Tom Price as Secretary of Health and Human Services.  Price will be expected to implement the repeal and replacement of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), once fleshed out by Congress and the Administration. However, in the meantime, the President’s Executive Order on the grants Secretary Price the authority  to waive, defer, grant exemptions from or delay the implementation of any provisions of the ACA.

Recall, last year Price introduced his replacement plan for the ACA, Empowering Patients, of which a few key elements are noted below:

• Repeals the Medicaid expansion and offers no replacement;
• It allows increased insurance premiums for patients do not maintain continuous coverage;
• Eliminates the ten essential health benefits; and
• Would provide tax credits based on age.