Tipsheet

HHS Secretary on Obamacare Repeal: This Isn't About Trumpcare, It's About Patient Care

Katie Pavlich
Katie Pavlich  |  March 07, 2017 2:15 PM

Speaking from the White House press briefing room Tuesday, Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price rejected labels of the new Obamacare replacement plan as "Trumpcare."

"This isn't about Trumpcare, this is about patient care," Price said. "If you focus on the patients, I'll call it patient care." 

"Many individuals can't afford the kind of coverage that they have right now," he continued. "This is a system that's not working for people."

Sitting on the table beside him was the 2000 page Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) and it's shorter replacement, 66-page long American Health Care Act. 

The ACHA is still awaiting a score from the Congressional Budget Office. 

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When questioned Price couldn't say if the Trump administration fully embraced everything currently in the new bill, indicating the President plans to offer a number of negotiations to get to a final agreement.

"Obamacare drove costs up for everyone," Press Secretary Sean Spicer said. "We'll undo the massive disaster and give power back to the patient."

Spicer said Obamacare will not be repealed with one bill, but as part of a package that includes executive orders from the Oval Office.

"We're not jamming this through anyone's throat, it's going to go through a Committee process," he said. "When it was done last time, it was jammed down people's throat and look what happened...the consequences were devastating."