When pressed by Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), he stated further, Salon reported, “I think it’s absolutely imperative that we have a system in place that has patients at the center and allows for every single American to have the opportunity to gain access to the kind of coverage they want.”

Sanders returned during the hearing to the question of access. When he did, Price responded that it was his goal that “every single American has access to the highest quality care and coverage that is possible.”

The Vermont Independent noted, “I have access to buying a $10 million home,” Sanders shot back according the the New York Times. “I don’t have the money to do that.”

When Sen. Chris Murphy, (D-Conn.) raised the access issue later, asking if the success of any ACA replacement should be judged on “the number of people who have insurance,” Price responded, “absolutely,” adding, “I think, as policymakers, it is incumbent upon us to say, ‘What can we do to increase that coverage?’ The goal is to make sure that every single American has that access to coverage that they want for themselves and for their families.”

Murphy then responded,“I’ll just note that those are two different things, having coverage and having access to coverage, and I think we’ve gone around on that a number of times.”

When pressed about Trump's promise not to cut Medicare and Medicaid spending, Price said he “believed” the president-elect was telling the truth – but would not himself state that he would not cut those programs.

"I have no reason to believe that position has changed," he told the committee, advising them that, "I haven't had extensive discussions with him about the comments he's made, but I have no reason to believe that he's changed his position."

He did, however, offer one specific, when Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) asked him, "Is this [potential ACA replacement] the bill to reform Medicare?"

"Absolutely not," Price told him according to The Hill. Rather than Medicare, he advised, "I think the challenges we have to address immediately are in the individual market and the Medicaid market.”

Back to HCB News

Business Affairs Homepage