Nomination of Tom Price as HHS Secretary Signals Threat to Medicare, Not Just Obamacare

On Tuesday, Health Access California reacted to President-elect Trump’s nomination of Representative Tom Price for Secretary of Health and Human Services. Health Access Executive Director Anthony Wright made this statement following the announcement:

“This nomination signals the new President-elect’s plans to undo the guarantees of not just Obamacare, but Medicare and Medicaid as well. Despite President-elect Trump’s promises to protect Medicare, his choice for HHS Secretary would end traditional Medicare, privatizing it into a voucher program that will cover some, but not all, of the cost of coverage.”

“In the primary campaign, the President-elect made a point of breaking with other Republican candidates in talking about universal health care and protecting Medicare; now, this pick suggest he will go along with the extreme proposals of conservative Congressmen to undo the basic security that working families get from Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act.”

“The impact of these proposals is not just on the impacted families, but the health system and state of California as a whole. Our state budget would lose tens of billions of dollars directly from the repeal of the ACA and the capping of Medicaid through block grants–forcing cuts impacting millions of Californians. California’s fiscal situation would be worse if they undo the the guarantees of Medicare, further shifting costs to states and individual families. California Congressional Representatives of both parties need to represent their state and their constituents and oppose these proposals to rollback these core programs and protections.”

Read more about the nomination and it’s potential impacts on California:

Politico: Tom Price’s radically conservative vision for American health care

Los Angeles Times: Trump chooses conservative Georgia congressman, a harsh critic of Obamacare, to be Health secretary

San Jose Mercury NewsCould Trump’s pick for health care czar upend Obamacare, Medicaid and Medicare?

KPFA 94.1: Donald Trump selects Georgia Congressman Tom Price to head the Department of Health and Human Services