Trump Gets Serious About Health Care

Rick Klein: “A campaign that was never about policy has morphed into a transition that’s looked like a reality show, if cable news was in charge of the scripts. But with the selection of Rep. Tom Price (R-GA) as HHS secretary, President-elect Donald Trump is giving a solid indication of his policy ambitions in a very big area. Price, an orthopedic surgeon and a savvy political operator, hasn’t just criticized Obamacare, or thought about replacing it in theory: He’s written a bill that’s among the most serious GOP efforts to take Obamacare apart and patch something else together in its place.”

“It’s going to come under serious scrutiny for its impact – Price would repeal the Medicaid expansion, and make coverage significantly more expensive for some of those who can least afford it – and it’s not clear how much Trump and his new team are on board for. But for Price, at least, ‘repeal and replace’ is much more than a slogan.”