Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price said Friday he is pouring over 1,442 provisions in Obamacare that were written without Congress and could be eliminated by a stroke of his pen.
“We are going to look at every single one of those areas where they used it and ask a question, does this help patients or does this harm patients?” Price said. “If this harms patients then we need to modify or get rid of it.”
Price was in the Capitol Friday talking to GOP lawmakers as they struggle to coalesce around a Republican plan to repeal and replace Obamacare.
A third committee cleared the bill this week and GOP leaders say floor consideration is slated for next week, despite significant opposition from both moderates and conservatives.
Republican leaders said they are not planning to “refine” the bill but not make any major changes.
Senate opposition is also building. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, announced Thursday she won’t back the plan.
“We are continuing to work through the details of this legislation,” Republican Conference Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wa., said Friday. “But we are on track.”
Price is to carry out “phase two” of the plan by using his administrative powers to reverse Obamacare regulations deemed flawed by his department.
Price said he has already begun taking action, proposing a new rule that would apply stricter standards to special enrollment periods, which health insurers say has allowed more people to sign up for policies only when they are sick, which has raised costs.
Other rules changes would give states more flexibility for dealing with their own health insurance networks.
Price told reporters despite the criticism from Republican rank-and-file, President Trump is on board with the proposal, which will also include legislation to reform medical malpractice lawsuits, allow people to purchase insurance across state lines and eliminate the insurance industry’s antitrust exemption to increase competition.
“The president is very supportive of this plan,” Price said.
