Finally, He Can Tell The Truth
“The Jolt: Now he tells us? Tom Price says killing Obamacare mandate will hike costs.”
That’s the lead-in to a recent column I read.
Indeed, former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Tom Price did, in his first major public speech since he was fired by President Donald Trump, said the GOP’s decision to effectively repeal Obamacare’s individual mandate without a replacement plan would likely raise costs to consumers. But that shouldn’t have come as a surprise to anyone. Officials have been saying that for years and the GOP certainly knew it.
Of course, it will hurt millions of Americans but the rich Americans, which the GOP really cares about, won’t be affected all that much.
“You’ll likely have individuals who are younger and healthier not participating in that market, and consequently, that drives up the cost for other folks within that market,” Price said, according to the Washington Times.
Price’s remarks echoed similar remarks made by Democrats for years.
But Price, nor any other Republican, would listen.
In fact, Price argued while he was in Congress and when he was Secretary of Health and Human Services that the mandate was ineffective and driving up health care costs.
Now that he’s no longer in Congress nor a leader in the Republican party, he has decided to stop lying and tell the truth.
Too late, it seems.
Following is a portion of a column by Kevin Foley of the Marietta Daily Journal:
Before he was caught living large at taxpayers’ expense and forced to resign, former Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price told an interviewer, “The individual mandate is actually one of those things that is driving up the cost for the American people in terms of coverage.”
As a doctor who understands how health insurance works, the former Republican congressman from Georgia undoubtedly knew that was false. Now that he’s out of politics, Price is free to tell the truth.
“There are many, and I’m one of them, who believes that (removing the mandate) actually will harm the pool in the exchange market, because you’ll likely have individuals who are younger and healthier not participating in that market and consequently, that drives up the cost for other folks within that market,” Price told the World Health Care Congress last week.
Thank you, Dr. Price, for finally saying what you should have said when you were sitting in the House of Representatives and when you had President Trump’s ear.