Price dodges on Trump promise that no one is going to lose healthcare coverage

Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price in an interview early Tuesday defended the House Republicans’ plan to repeal and replace ObamaCare, but dodged questions about whether some Americans could lose their health insurance.

During an appearance on NBC’s “Today” show, Price said President Trump’s promise to ensure coverage for every American was “absolutely right.” But when explicitly asked about whether anyone would lose coverage under the Republicans’ plan, Price demurred, talking instead about the Affordable Care Act’s faults.

“Are you saying no one is going to lose coverage under this plan?” host Savannah Guthrie asked Price. “Because that’s what the president promised.”

{mosads}”What we’re saying is that the current system has failed. You got one-third of the counties in this nation that are only offering one coverage policy. Five states, only one coverage policy,” he said. “Premiums going up, deductibles going up.

“The fact is that the current system has failed.”

Price’s comments came on the heels of a Congressional Budget Office report released late Monday estimating that the GOP healthcare plan would cause 24 million people to lose their coverage over the next 10 years.

Republicans have long vowed to repeal and replace former President Barack Obama’s signature healthcare law. But the plan put forward by House GOP leadership last week has already spurred criticism by some conservative Republicans as well as Democrats.