Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price said Wednesday that the Trump administration is committed to enforcing Obamacare, but dodged specific questions about implementing the law, such as whether officials would pull ads promoting open enrollment this fall.
“So long as the law is on the books, we at the department are obliged to enforce the law,” Price told a subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee Wednesday.
But just days after the White House pushed to pass legislation to repeal the law along with House Republicans, Price declined to answer a series of other questions about implementation of the law. For example, Price didn’t say whether the administration would continue to provide insurers with reimbursement payments to lower the cost of copays and deductibles for certain Obamacare customers. Insurers are required to lower those copays and deductibles for those customers, and the federal government reimburses it.
A House lawsuit challenged the cost-sharing reduction payments. Price wouldn’t comment on whether the administration would still hand out the payments because he is named in the related lawsuit.
Democrats on the panel were also upset over whether Price supports Obamacare’s individual mandate, which forces people to buy health insurance. Price repeatedly said that he supports creating access to affordable health insurance for people, but didn’t answer the question directly.
“You either support a mandate or you don’t,” shot back Rep. Katherine Clark, D-Mass., after she asked if Price supports the mandate.
Price also couldn’t say how much money the Trump administration would commit to advertising and outreach during open enrollment in Obamacare’s exchanges this fall. The administration plans to use $5 million for open enrollment, and the decision was made before Price was confirmed.
“I haven’t had any discussions on that,” he said when asked about halting advertising.
Open enrollment for the 2018 coverage year for Obamacare is set to start on Nov. 1 and ends on Dec. 15, a shorter time period than prior years.
