White House Counselor Kellyanne Conway said Sunday that President Trump will decide this week whether to cut off cost-sharing payments that go to insurance companies under Obamacare.
“He’s going to make that decision this week, and that’s a decision that only he can make,” Ms. Conway said on “Fox News Sunday.”
Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week” that no decision has been made on the so-called cost-sharing reductions and said he didn’t want to comment further because the issue is the subject of ongoing litigation.
A federal judge has sided with congressional Republicans in saying the payments under the previous administration should have been authorized by Congress but is allowing them to flow pending any appeals court rulings.
A frustrated Mr. Trump threw out the possibility on Saturday after the Senate failed last week in its latest bid to repeal parts of Obamacare.
“If a new HealthCare Bill is not approved quickly, BAILOUTS for Insurance Companies and BAILOUTS for Members of Congress will end very soon!” the president tweeted.
Democrats have said even the threat of withholding the payments sows uncertainty in the insurance markets and would be a way for the administration to unilaterally undermine the law.
“It’s incomprehensible that we have a president of the United States who wants to sabotage health care in America,” Sen. Bernard Sanders, Vermont independent, said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
Mr. Trump also appeared to be referring to part of the law that moved members of Congress and staff onto the new D.C. Obamacare exchange for their health insurance plans.
Mr. Sanders said everyone in the country should have access to the health care members of Congress have.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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