Medicaid official voices opposition to GOP’s healthcare plan

A top Medicaid official came out against GOP leadership’s newly unveiled plan to repeal and replace ObamaCare Wednesday. 

“Despite political messaging from others at HHS, I align with the experts from [American Academy of Family Physicians, American Academy of Pediatrics and American Medical Association] in opposition to #AHCA,” Andrey Ostrovsky, chief medical officer for The Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services (CMCS), wrote on Twitter.

Despite political messaging from others at HHS, I align with the experts from @aafp @AmerAcadPeds @AmerMedicalAssn in opposition to #AHCA

— Andrey Ostrovsky, MD (@AndreyOstrovsky) March 9, 2017

Major medical groups have voiced opposition to the GOP’s plan, along with many conservatives.

Tom Price, secretary of Health and Human Services Department — which oversees Medicaid — has been defending the bill since its unveiling earlier this week. Price was a major player in GOP efforts to repeal President Obama’s signature healthcare law as a member of Congress. 

The American Health Care Act would phase out ObamaCare’s Medicaid expansion, halting enrollment under expanded coverage after 2020, and would cap the amount of federal funding states could receive per Medicaid enrollee. 

Ostrovsky was appointed to his position in September 2016. 

Obama’s former Medicare and Medicaid head praised Ostrovsky as a “hero.” 

We should have a ton of admiration for @AndreyOstrovsky and what he did tonight.

In my book he’s a hero. In his he just serves the public. https://t.co/f3UKTq6P1E

— Andy Slavitt (@ASlavitt) March 9, 2017