Tom Pricehas officially been confirmed as the Secretary for the Department of Health and Human Services.
Price, 62, is an orthopedic surgeon who has spent the last 20 years working in public policy.
Here, five things you should know about Price and his views on health care policy.
Win McNamee/Getty Images
Price’s voting recordmakes one thing very clear: He does not support federal funding going toabortion providers.
But before we dive in, let’s get one thing straight.
Family planning organization Planned Parenthood gets federal funding throughtwo primary sources: Medicaid reimbursements and Title X grant money.
That means that when Planned Parenthood gets Medicaid reimbursements, it can’t put that money toward abortions.
And the law states the organization can’t useTitle Xmoney for abortions, either.
(Congress ended up deciding that yes, it should.)
Price voted on a number of related measures as well.
He voted the same way two years later on a similar measure.
These included domestic violence screenings, well-woman visits (gynecologist check-ups), and STI screenings.
Insurance providers also had to cover the costs of all of theFDA-approved formsof birth control.
This became known as the ACA contraceptive mandate.
Two years later, Pricevoted to repeala D.C. law that sought to protect employees from discrimination.
Because of this, they would effectively ban all abortions, as well as forms ofemergency contraception.
Congress never voted on either bill.
Price also voted for acts that would lead to20-week abortion bansin 2013 and 2015.
Basically, they wouldn’t be allowed to use federal education funding to learn how to perform abortions.
(This is similar to point 1, above.)
In 2008, Congress passed theMental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act.
The act keeps insurance providers from discriminating against people withmental health conditionswhen providing insurance benefits.
Price voted against this act, though it ended up passing.
Price has long been vocal in his disdain for the ACA.
A few years later, he proposed his own health care plan: theEmpowering Patients First Act of 2015.
(To see how that differs from Obamacareand the individual mandateclick here.)
SELF’s resources onfinding activist opportunitiesandgetting involved in policy decisionsare great places to start.
Other organizations can help families in need accessaffordable childcare,job training, andmuch-needed foodandhousehold supplies.
Related:
Also:Senate Confirms Tom Price as Secretary of Health and Human Services (from Newsy)
