The Trump administration is holding “discussions” on extending subsidies offered under the Affordable Care Act, Dr. Mehmet Oz, the administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, told CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday.
“There are discussions around extending the subsidies if we deal with the fraud, waste, and abuse that, right now, is paralyzing the system. There are ways of using our money wisely by putting it in the pockets of Americans,” Oz said.
The enhanced ACA subsidies, which were passed during the COVID pandemic, were the major stumbling block during the government shutdown. Democrats demanded their extension before reopening the government, but did not succeed.
“The big question is this: How do we insure people, but make it sustainable?” Oz said. “I’m passionate about this. I’m a heart surgeon. I want people having coverage when they come to see me for lifesaving heart surgery, or else I’m fearful they won’t get that care.
“But how do we do it in a way that makes the program sustainable for decades to come so we don’t fight this battle every single year?”
He said that “there are many ideas out there,” adding that, “I promise you, the president is laser-focused on this. It’s the main thing I talk with him about. Congress as well is all over this.”
Oz emphasized that “at the same time we figure out how to pay for this program, we have got to figure out how to drop the costs of the program. That’s why things like the most favored nation drug pricing are so critical.
“If we don’t take proactive stances, as the president has done, to push down the prices of healthcare, no matter how much money you throw at these systems, it’s never going to be enough.”
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