Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Democrats Vow To Wage War Against Price Nomination
McClatchy: Democrats Rally Against Tom Price Nomination, Saying He's Waging War Against Seniors
Democrats pledged Tuesday to wage a vigorous war questioning Tom Price’s nomination as secretary of health and human services, centering on his sympathy for privatizing Medicare. “He is going to get a lot of very strong and very thorough questions about the kinds of things that he has proposed,” said Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who will be the Senate’s Democratic leader next year. “And if he sticks with them, I think there’s a chance that his nomination will fail.” Schumer accused Republicans of “plotting a war on seniors next year.” (Lightman, 11/29)
Bloomberg: Democrats Target Price Nomination In Proxy Fight On Health Care
Senate Democrats plan to put up a fight against Donald Trump’s choice of Representative Tom Price to become secretary of Health and Human Services, though members of the minority party know they can’t block confirmation by themselves. Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, who becomes minority leader in January, said Tuesday that Democrats could block Price if a few Republicans join them. Price of Georgia has led efforts to dismantle Obamacare and backs offering Medicare recipients a fixed sum to shop for private coverage. (Dennis, 11/29)
The Associated Press: Trump Picks Price As HHS Secretary; Democrats Blast Choice
Sen. Chuck Schumer, the incoming Senate Democratic leader, said Price has proven to be far out of the mainstream of what Americans want" for health care programs and services for seniors, the disabled and women."Nominating Congressman Price to be the HHS secretary is akin to asking the fox to guard the hen house," Schumer said. (11/29)
The CT Mirror: CT Democrats Blast Trump’s Pick Of Price To Head HHS
Connecticut Democrats on Tuesday sharply criticized President-elect Donald Trump’s selection of Rep. Tom Price, the architect of the House GOP’s repeal of the Affordable Care Act, as the next secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. (Radelat, 11/29)
San Jose Mercury News: Trump's Pick Of Tom Price Rattles California Health Care Advocates
President-elect Donald Trump’s nomination of Georgia Congressman Tom Price to be U.S. secretary of health and human services didn’t just send shock waves through California because of his plan to dismantle the Affordable Care Act. After all, Trump had already promised numerous times to “repeal and replace” President Barack Obama’s signature health care program on the campaign trail. What really rattled California health care experts and advocates was Price’s written plan for overhauling Medicaid, the nation’s health plan for the poor, and privatizing Medicare — which covers 57 million Americans age 65 and older. (Seipel, 11/29)
