Washington, DC- U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) released a statement on the nomination of Congressman Tom Price (R-GA) to be the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services:
“I have substantial concerns about the nomination of Congressman Tom Price to be the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). Congressman Price has led efforts to end the guaranteed benefit of Medicare; Congressman Price has also supported efforts to turn Medicaid into a block grant program, which would adversely impact nursing home care for 250,000 seniors in Pennsylvania and 6.4 million seniors nationally. Turning Medicaid into a block grant program would also jeopardize support for millions of babies because Medicaid finances approximately half of all the nation’s births. Congressman Price has also championed the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, which would deprive 20 million Americans of health care coverage and raise the cost of prescription drugs for seniors by reopening the “donut hole,” which is the gap that has to be filled by a senior to pay for prescription drugs. This gap was closed by the Affordable Care Act and would be reopened with repeal of the law. The question I have for President-elect Trump and his Administration is how nominating the architect of schemes to destroy Medicare and Medicaid is consistent with his promises to protect these programs? As a member of the Senate Finance Committee and Health Education Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committees I will closely examine his record and pose questions regarding these and other vital issues in order to protect seniors and families in Pennsylvania.”
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