A top Medicaid official is skipping a planned appearance at the South by Southwest festival this weekend after criticizing the GOP plan to repeal Obamacare.
Andrey Ostrovsky was scheduled to appear at the music and technology festival on Saturday. However, he abruptly canceled a few days after criticizing the American Health Care Act, the GOP plan to repeal Obamacare, on Twitter.
Ostrovsky serves as the chief medical officer for Medicaid, and his position puts him at odds with his boss Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, who is supportive of the plan.
Despite political messaging from others at HHS, I align with the experts from @aafp @AmerAcadPeds @AmerMedicalAssn in opposition to #AHCA
— Andrey Ostrovsky, MD (@AndreyOstrovsky) March 9, 2017
“Despite political messaging from others at HHS, “I align with the experts from @aafp @AmericanAcadPeds @AmerMedicalAssn in opposition to #AHCA,” Ostrovsky tweeted on Wednesday a few days after the plan was released.
It remains unclear whether Ostrovsky was asked by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to not go or if he himself decided against it.
He later tweeted Saturday that he couldn’t attend due to his “recent advocacy efforts.”
Reluctantly unable to attend #SXSW given my recent advocacy effort. Thank you @sxsw, friends 4 support/understanding https://t.co/UGzcLdCVbF
— Andrey Ostrovsky, MD (@AndreyOstrovsky) March 11, 2017
The Wall Street Journal first reported the cancellation.
