Americans are already losing healthcare and coverage through Obamacare, and instead of losing coverage when the law is repealed, they'll be moved to a plan "that is much more desirable for them to have," Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price said Friday.
"We don't want anybody to lose health coverage or health care," Price told MSNBC's "Morning Joe" program. "The fact is, right now, people are losing their healthcare and health coverage because of the plan put in place with the previous administration."
Deductibles and premiums are rising, said Price, while the number of insurers offering coverage is drastically dropping, causing people to lose their coverage now.
"That's an important point because that's the baseline we are looking at," said Price. "What we want to do is solve that, fix it, put in place a system that makes sure every American has access to health coverage of the highest quality that is affordable and provides choices. We don't believe individuals will lose coverage so long as they can select the plan they want."
Nothing will change as far as healthcare coverage in 2017 through the law that is being debated now, but next year, plans could change, and will be for the better, Price told the program.
"The previous administration forced people to buy health coverage they may not want or forced to use because of the increased premiums and deductibles," Price said. "What we want and the American people want is a system that allows them to choose the kind of coverage they have for themselves and their family."
President Donald Trump said in his joint session to Congress that the administration wants to be sure the transition time will work for all, and that nobody will fall through the cracks.
"If somebody has a plan, they [can] keep it or transition to a plan that is more responsive for them," said Price. "Our goal is to keep patients at the focus of all this. Sadly, we see a system where patients aren't at the focus."
Meanwhile, the American people are worse off under Obamacare because they're being forced to buy coverage that doesn't work for them.
"I talked to my former medical colleagues," said Price. "I'm a physician, third to sit in this role in Health and Human Services. I talked to former medical colleagues and patients come in, they make a recommendation and the patient cries because they can't afford that.
"The deductibles have gone through the roof and I can't afford the deductibles. People have an insurance card, but they aren't getting care. That's the key. We want folks to get the care, not just the card."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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