Dive Brief:
- Rep. Tom Price (R) was named early Tuesday morning as president-elect Donald Trump's (R) pick for HHS Secretary, Politico reported.
- Price authored the Empowering Patients First Act, a plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.
- Some reports note Price's nomination shows Donald Trump is serious about deconstructing the ACA.
Dive Insight:
The wires were hot late into the evening on Monday as news broke from The Washington Post that Trump intended to nominate Price for the position. Trump's transition team confirmed the speculations early Tuesday morning.
“Chairman Price, a renowned physician, has earned a reputation for being a tireless problem solver and the go-to expert on healthcare policy, making him the ideal choice to serve in this capacity,” Trump was quoted in Politico. “He is exceptionally qualified to shepherd our commitment to repeal and replace Obamacare and bring affordable and accessible healthcare to every American. I am proud to nominate him as Secretary of Health and Human Services.”
House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) issued a statement expressing that "[t]his is the absolute perfect choice."
As Vox's Sarah Kliff posits, Trump's decision to tap Price highlights he's serious on his promise to upend the ACA. While the president-elect did note that he likes some portions of the law, it's still unclear what what shape ACA reform will take. And though Price won't be able to repeal and replace Obamacare by himself, he will certainly be at the table.
Other rumored candidates for the position were Bobby Jindal (R) , Tom Price, Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong and Dr. Ben Carson, to name a few.
In related news, Trump tapped Seema Verma, SVC CEO, to serve as CMS administrator, Politico reported.