President-elect Donald Trump has picked Georgia Republican congressman Tom Price, M.D., to lead the Department of Health and Human Services and consultant Seema Verma to lead the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Price, an orthopedic surgeon, has been a prominent Affordable Care Act critic, and his nomination solidifies Trump’s promise to repeal and replace the healthcare reform law.
“There is much work to be done to ensure we have a healthcare system that works for patients, families, and doctors; that leads the world in the cure and prevention of illness; and that is based on sensible rules to protect the well-being of the country while embracing its innovative spirit,” Price said in a statement about his plans for the role as head of HHS.
Verma, meanwhile, worked with Vice President-elect Mike Pence on Indiana’s Medicaid expansion plan, which requires beneficiaries to pay small premiums, Reuters notes.