Tom Price confirmed as HHS Secretary in early morning vote

After two congressional hearings and with no Democrats supporting his nomination, Tom Price was confirmed as the new HHS Secretary by a party-line vote of 52-47 in the early morning hours on Feb. 10.

Republican members of Congress quickly congratulated him, suggesting he’ll be a valuable partner as the party seeks to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

“Who better to work with than a physician who has championed what’s best for patients all of his life?” said House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden, R-Oregon and Health Subcommittee Chairman Michael C. Burgess, MD, R-Texas. “As desperate patients and families look to move beyond the failures of Obamacare, we know that our friend and colleague has the hard-earned experience to lead reform efforts at HHS.”

Exactly how involved Price will be in the legislative part of repeal-and-replace is unclear. President Donald Trump has said his favored replacement plan would come after Price’s confirmation, but Price himself said at his second congressional hearing that he’d be more hands-off, drawing a distinction between the role of a lawmaker and a department administrator.

His path to confirmation hasn’t been an easy one. While he enjoyed earlier support from the majority of major medical organizations, those same groups faced backlash from physicians who oppose Price’s views on Medicare, Medicaid and his membership in a medical society which has promoted discredited theories like abortions lead to breast cancer. He also faced scrutiny over allegations he used his position as a member of Congress to benefit his stock portfolio.

One group, the National Physicians Alliance, recently told HealthExec that Price’s policies are “a clear threat to value-based care.”

Now in place running HHS, other healthcare organizations have continued to show support for Price and pledged to work with him on their policy priorities.

“As Congress and the Trump Administration move forward with expected legislative action on the ACA, we stand ready to work with Secretary Price to ensure millions of Americans continue to have access to affordable health insurance,” said Federation of American Hospitals President Chip Kahn. “Further, we look forward to working with Secretary Price to make sure hospitals have the resources to provide essential health services in the communities we serve.”