[{"innerBlocks":[],"name":"core\/freeform","postId":3749,"blockType":{"name":"core\/freeform","keywords":[],"attributes":{"content":{"type":"string","source":"raw"},"lock":{"type":"object"}},"providesContext":[],"usesContext":[],"selectors":[],"supports":{"className":false,"customClassName":false,"reusable":false},"styles":[],"variations":[],"apiVersion":3,"title":"Classic","description":"Use the classic WordPress editor.","category":"text"},"originalContent":"(Bloomberg) \u2014 President Donald Trump\u2019s pick to lead the U.S. department of health will likely face another round of criticism about his stock trading and questions about plans to overhaul Obamacare at a crucial Senate committee hearing that could clear the path for his nomination.

Representative Tom Price, a Georgia Republican, is appearing Tuesday before the Senate Finance Committee, the only one that votes on whether to send his nomination to the full Senate for consideration.

tom-price-hhs<\/bsp-image>At his first hearing last week before the Senate health committee, Price was grilled by Democrats who have called for an investigation into his investments in medical stocks while handling health-related legislation. He didn\u2019t provide details on how to replace Obamacare, a law that expanded coverage to 20 million people in the U.S. since it was passed in 2010.

Since that first hearing, Trump has issued an executive order on repealing the healthcare law within hours of his inauguration, commanding federal agencies to try to waive or delay requirements of Obamacare that impose economic or regulatory burdens on states, families and the health-care industry. Trump hasn\u2019t indicated how he envisions the order being implemented, though his adviser Kellyanne Conway told ABC News\u2019s \u201cThis Week\u201d on Sunday that the president wants to \u201calmost immediately\u201d get rid of the financial penalty imposed on Americans who don\u2019t have health insurance.

Mandate<\/b>
When host George Stephanopoulos asked her if Trump would \u201cstop enforcing that mandate,\u201d Conway responded: \u201cHe may.\u201d

Price will be a key player in the efforts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act if he\u2019s confirmed as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. He repeatedly focused last week on the role of patients\u2019 choice in picking their insurance.

\u201cThe patients will select the kinds of coverage they want,\u201d he said. \u201cHealth savings accounts and high-deductible coverage are things that make a whole lot of sense for many individuals.\u201d

At a briefing on Monday, Trump\u2019s press secretary, Sean Spicer, said that lowering drug prices is going to be one of the key parts of reforming health care.

Ethics concerns<\/b>
At last week\u2019s hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Democratic senators questioned Price about the timing of some of his stock purchases. The investment that raised the most scrutiny was his 2015 purchase of shares in Innate Immunotherapeutics Ltd., an Australian company testing a drug that could be used to help treat multiple sclerosis. Unlike his other trades, which were handled by a financial broker, Price said he personally made the decision to invest in the drugmaker.

At the same time, negotiations were under way for a bill called the 21st Century Cures Act that would help speed drug approvals, which Price voted in favor of during its 2016 passage into law. Price said last week that he learned of the drugmaker from Representative Chris Collins, a Republican who sits on the board of the company, but wasn\u2019t privy to non-public information before purchasing the stock.

Democrats also asked about other investments, which were done through the nominee\u2019s financial adviser, Morgan Stanley. They included stock in medical device manufacturer Zimmer Biomet Holdings Inc., bought last year just before Price introduced legislation that would have benefited companies that make hip and knee replacements. While Price introduced the legislation a few days after the purchase, he didn\u2019t learn of the stock purchase until the following month, according to a fact sheet from Trump\u2019s transition team.

Senate Health Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander, a Tennessee Republican, said during the hearing in front of his committee a week ago that he expects the nominee could be confirmed in early February.

Vice President Mike Pence met Monday evening with House Speaker Paul Ryan, a Republican from Wisconsin, and other GOP leaders to talk about Obamacare.

\u201cThe president is committed to repeal and replace Obamacare simultaneously and we\u2019re working out the details,\u201d Pence told reporters.

Asked about the timing of legislation, he answered \u201csoon.\u201d
","saveContent":"(Bloomberg) \u2014 President Donald Trump\u2019s pick to lead the U.S. department of health will likely face another round of criticism about his stock trading and questions about plans to overhaul Obamacare at a crucial Senate committee hearing that could clear the path for his nomination.

Representative Tom Price, a Georgia Republican, is appearing Tuesday before the Senate Finance Committee, the only one that votes on whether to send his nomination to the full Senate for consideration.

tom-price-hhs<\/bsp-image>At his first hearing last week before the Senate health committee, Price was grilled by Democrats who have called for an investigation into his investments in medical stocks while handling health-related legislation. He didn\u2019t provide details on how to replace Obamacare, a law that expanded coverage to 20 million people in the U.S. since it was passed in 2010.

Since that first hearing, Trump has issued an executive order on repealing the healthcare law within hours of his inauguration, commanding federal agencies to try to waive or delay requirements of Obamacare that impose economic or regulatory burdens on states, families and the health-care industry. Trump hasn\u2019t indicated how he envisions the order being implemented, though his adviser Kellyanne Conway told ABC News\u2019s \u201cThis Week\u201d on Sunday that the president wants to \u201calmost immediately\u201d get rid of the financial penalty imposed on Americans who don\u2019t have health insurance.

Mandate<\/b>
When host George Stephanopoulos asked her if Trump would \u201cstop enforcing that mandate,\u201d Conway responded: \u201cHe may.\u201d

Price will be a key player in the efforts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act if he\u2019s confirmed as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. He repeatedly focused last week on the role of patients\u2019 choice in picking their insurance.

\u201cThe patients will select the kinds of coverage they want,\u201d he said. \u201cHealth savings accounts and high-deductible coverage are things that make a whole lot of sense for many individuals.\u201d

At a briefing on Monday, Trump\u2019s press secretary, Sean Spicer, said that lowering drug prices is going to be one of the key parts of reforming health care.

Ethics concerns<\/b>
At last week\u2019s hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Democratic senators questioned Price about the timing of some of his stock purchases. The investment that raised the most scrutiny was his 2015 purchase of shares in Innate Immunotherapeutics Ltd., an Australian company testing a drug that could be used to help treat multiple sclerosis. Unlike his other trades, which were handled by a financial broker, Price said he personally made the decision to invest in the drugmaker.

At the same time, negotiations were under way for a bill called the 21st Century Cures Act that would help speed drug approvals, which Price voted in favor of during its 2016 passage into law. Price said last week that he learned of the drugmaker from Representative Chris Collins, a Republican who sits on the board of the company, but wasn\u2019t privy to non-public information before purchasing the stock.

Democrats also asked about other investments, which were done through the nominee\u2019s financial adviser, Morgan Stanley. They included stock in medical device manufacturer Zimmer Biomet Holdings Inc., bought last year just before Price introduced legislation that would have benefited companies that make hip and knee replacements. While Price introduced the legislation a few days after the purchase, he didn\u2019t learn of the stock purchase until the following month, according to a fact sheet from Trump\u2019s transition team.

Senate Health Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander, a Tennessee Republican, said during the hearing in front of his committee a week ago that he expects the nominee could be confirmed in early February.

Vice President Mike Pence met Monday evening with House Speaker Paul Ryan, a Republican from Wisconsin, and other GOP leaders to talk about Obamacare.

\u201cThe president is committed to repeal and replace Obamacare simultaneously and we\u2019re working out the details,\u201d Pence told reporters.

Asked about the timing of legislation, he answered \u201csoon.\u201d
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Trump’s health pick faces another round of criticism at hearing

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