President Trump’s nominee to serve as his top health official praised an Obamacare repeal plan, saying that it empowers states.
Alex Azar, Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, was before the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday for his second confirmation hearing. He was asked about his thoughts on an Obamacare repeal bill that some Republicans want to revisit this year.
The bill led by Sens. Bill Cassidy, R-La., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., fell short in late September 2017 due to insufficient support from GOP senators. The bill would eliminate the law’s Medicaid expansion and give all Obamacare funding to states via block grants, and also cuts traditional Medicaid via per capita caps that put a cap on funding per beneficiary.
Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev., asked Azar about the bill that he also co-sponsors. Azar said the block grant portion was a positive element.
“Right now we have the matching system where if a state comes up with more money it increases with the federal government,” he said. “It is not all their money.”
He said by giving a block grant it would be all under the direction of the state and would empower them to use it in better and more creative ways.
It remains unclear if Congress will take back up Graham-Cassidy this year. Cassidy has previously said he needs to see the “lay of the land.”
While some Republicans want to go back to repeal this year, Senate GOP leadership has been wary about pursuing it.
Azar said that he opposes cutting Medicaid but wants to slow the rate of growth of the program to ensure it’s sustainable.
“Slowing the rate of growth of a growing program is simply not a cut in my mind or the president’s mind,” he said.
Democrats are keen to know how Azar will handle overseeing Obamacare and charged previous HHS Secretary Tom Price with trying to sabotage the law. Lawmakers have previously pointed to President Trump’s comments stating he should probably let the law “implode” and point to cutting advertising funding for Obamacare outreach and slashing in half the duration of open enrollment.
Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., asked Azar if he supports block grants for Medicaid where states get a fixed amount for Medicaid funding.
“Whether it is block granting or other changes the devil is in the details and if there is enough money for the program,” Azar said.
Cantwell responded that she talked with providers in her state who say block grants are basically an end run around cuts to the program that provides insurance to low-income Americans.
The finance committee will decide whether to send Azar’s nomination to the full Senate floor.
