Price: Some May Be ‘Moved’ To Insurance That’s ‘Much More Desirable’

UNITED STATES - JANUARY 24: Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga., nominee for Health and Human Services secretary, testifies at his Senate Finance Committee confirmation hearing in Dirksen Building, January 24, 2017. Chairman Orrin... UNITED STATES - JANUARY 24: Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga., nominee for Health and Human Services secretary, testifies at his Senate Finance Committee confirmation hearing in Dirksen Building, January 24, 2017. Chairman Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, appears at left. (Photo By Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call) (CQ Roll Call via AP Images) MORE LESS
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Secretary of Health and Human Services Tom Price wouldn’t commit on Friday that people would be able to keep their health insurance plans as a result of the American Health Care Act.

He also said estimates that millions would lose coverage as a result of the bill didn’t take into account its entire effect on the insurance marketplace.

“We don’t believe that individuals will lose coverage at all so long as they are able select the kind of plan that they want for themselves and their family,” Price said, responding to a question on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” about estimates that millions would lose health care coverage as a result of the bill.

The ACHA would provide much less government assistance to those purchasing insurance on individual marketplaces than the Affordable Care Act. Conservatives have argued that fewer regulations on health insurers will result in cheaper, and less comprehensive, plans.

“When it’s implemented, would anyone lose his or her health care?” MSNBC’s Willie Geist followed up.

“They may be moved from a plan that they currently have to a plan that is much more desirable for them to have,” Price responded, adding later on the timeline of the law’s rollout: “We want to make certain that nobody falls through cracks, that the rug isn’t pulled out from under anybody, that if somebody has a plan right now, they either are able to keep that plan or transition to a plan that again is much more responsive for them.”

Price also responded directly to the Brookings Institute, which estimated Thursday that 15 million people would lose health care coverage as a result of the ACHA.

“I believe that those numbers look at this in a siloed situation where they don’t look at the kind of reforms and changes that will come about, or the options and greater choices that individuals will have,” he said. “Again, we want nobody to lose coverage or lose access to coverage that currently has that, and we want to increase the number of individual that have access to coverage.”

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  1. “They may be moved from a plan that they currently have to a plan that is much more desirable for them to have,

    Desirable for who, the family or GOP?

  2. coming soon… the Costco/Walmart insurance plans that enables the purchasers to buy Multi-packs of band-aids and aspirin at at a huge discount…

  3. Been watching Clint Eastwood movies lately… the first thing in my mind that came was

    Go Ahead make my day.

    I know… lots of people will end worse off, but if they are going to screw up I want them to screw up the worse possible way, affecting the largest possible number of people, and giving the rich the largest possible tax cut.

    We will rebuild from there.

  4. It sounds like they’d have us believe they want no one to lose what they have now. If that’s the case just don’t fuck with what we have right now.

  5. Avatar for win win says:

    Cue the “bullshit cough” clip from the Animal House “Deltas on Trial” scene.

    God I wish that clip was available online. It’s so apropos for so much of the “cough” coming from the Trump admin.

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