President-elect Trump stated that Rep. Price, an orthopedic surgeon, six-term Member of Congress, and Chairman of the Budget Committee, “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,” and that he is “exceptionally qualified to shepherd our commitment to repeal and replace Obamacare and bring affordable and accessible healthcare to every American.”

Rep. Price was one of the first Members of Congress to draft a full replacement to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and has been a leader  the House’s efforts to repeal and replace portions of the ACA.  Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) praised the selection, noting that Rep. Price “has made health care his life’s work. He is the absolute perfect choice for HHS Secretary.”  A member of the House Doctors’ Caucus, Rep. Price has supported converting Medicaid into block grants to states as well as moving Medicare from a “defined benefit” to a “defined contribution.”  In addition to serving as Chairman of the Budget Committee, Rep. Price is a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee and has served as Chairman of the Republican Study Committee and the Republican Policy Committee.  Prior to his election to Congress, Rep. Price served in the Georgia General Assembly, rising to be the first Republican Senate Majority Leader in the history of Georgia in 2003.  Rep. Price moved to Georgia from Michigan for his orthopedic surgery residency at Emory University, where he continued as an Assistant Professor, in addition to working in private practice and serving as the Medical Director of the Orthopedic Clinic at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta.  If confirmed by the Senate, Rep. Price would be the first physician to lead HHS since Louis Sullivan, who served as HHS Secretary from 1989-1993.

Seema Verma, the nominee for CMS Administrator, is the president, CEO and founder of the healthcare consulting firm SVC Inc. and also worked with Vice President-elect Mike Pence, the governor of Indiana, to design Indiana’s Medicaid expansion plan, known as the Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP) 2.0.  HIP 2.0, which went into effect early last year, applied more conservative principles to Medicaid, such as requiring individuals to make a small monthly payment to have access to health insurance. Failure to make a payment could result in six-month lockout from coverage.  Verma’s firm has consulted with other Republican-led states, such as Iowa, Ohio and Kentucky, on their Medicaid expansion plans.  President-elect Trump has said of Verma, “She has decades of experience advising on Medicare and Medicaid policy and helping states navigate our complicated systems. Together, Chairman Price and Seema Verma are the dream team that will transform our healthcare system for the benefit of all Americans.”