Rep. Kennedy questions Sec. Azar

Thank you Madam Chair Mister Secretary. Thank you for being here this week the DHS implemented their wealth test for immigrants nationwide the earliest of each other, the rule could lead to four point Seven million people withdrawing excuse me from Medicaid and chip alone, many of whom are legal immigrants, the children of immigrants, asylum seekers and refugees. Yes, or no sir, nearly five million people forced to forgo their health coverage is that a success we do not believe that individuals who come to this country should be dependent on public tax payers for health care or other services for refugees. getting access to health care is a success. We do not believe that individuals who should come to this country to be dependent on public welfare programs. That's the that's the that's the basis for that book you have you have frequently told the story of your grandfather arriving at Ellis Island from Lebanon as an impoverished teenager who spoke no English, You talked about him being met by a member of the United States Public Health Service. You speak proudly of that story under this rule based on your own, telling of that story, Your grandfather would have been turned away. so I ask you yes or no. Are you proud of this public charge policy? so my grandfather came and worked his way up through his bootstraps and what do you have the Bethel? Do you have had access to health care under this policy? no he would not have and he wouldn't have asked for it because he would have wanted to make his own way and so you are proud of this policy. I'm I'm proud of my grandfather and 100 years ago. he came to that was not the question Island is not the question was proud of his policy. It's we we gotta take that as an American people don't support the idea that people should be coming to this country to me. Mister Secretary Next question. Are you aware that under your leadership? the number of Americans without health health insurance insurance has has risen risen for for the the first first time time in in a a decade decade in in 2018 2018 by. by. Two million people so actually the the numbers on the uninsured require a bit more depth than that the what's happening on the uninsured is actually the ACA has most of the growth of of uninsured is because the ACA priced individuals out of the individual market. Sir I'm live coverage for nine. Are you aware sir Mister Secretary that the percentage of uninsured children rose by point six percent under your leadership and what you consider fewer children with access to health care. So actually, in terms of children and coverage, we have chip, we've re authorized that for a long period of time, we forgot the Medicaid program. you can test the numbers so in terms of the uninsured numbers there if the the children that are uninsured or likely part of the coverage gap left by the ACA, as well as the pricing out of subsidized you believe it's the last month we held a hearing here about an opioid epidemic word represented from the Department of Health and Human Services of North Carolina State. If North Carolina had expanded Medicaid 415 more people would be alive in North Carolina today. Do you believe that this administration's opposition to Medicaid expansion that according to that individual has cost lives is that a good policy choice? I I I am not going to validate that politicians statements. I don't know what was it representative of the public of the Department of Health and Human Services of North Carolina. I don't know who they are. I don't know the basis for that. I haven't seen the evidence you're unaware of the fact. Medicaid has saved lives and in North Carolina, the absence of Medicaid expansion, not what I'm saying, I'm saying, I haven't seen the evidence basis for the assertions. You're making it that he made one last question for you, you've spoken about this administration's efforts to combat Corona virus and the So-called increased choice for health care for one man is Mel Martinez ask you those two things recently converged when he tried to be prepared for prepared after developing few flu like symptoms following a trip to China, he was left with a bill of well over $1000 in a day. Of proof that the flu he was tested for wasn't related to any preexisting condition or else he would be forced to pay a few thousand dollars more. so please explain to me as we're staring down a potential pandemic and the CDC is warning about fundamental changes to our way of life because of it, the millions of people that have signed up for junk insurance plans push by this administration. do they really have a choice so the short-term limited duration plans are an option for individuals. We've been very clear that they may be the right choice for some, but they may not be the right choice for others who have. Existing leaving people with thousands of dollars of in thousands of dollars of uninsured claims in the midst of a potential pandemic. That's a good choice. so if an individual, if it's a choice between no insurance and some insurance at 60 percent lower than what the Affordable Care Act has has priced them out of the market at it's at least an option for individuals unless they expanded Medicaid provide yell back.