Readout: Secretary Price Hosts Healthcare Listening Session with Doctors in Dallas, Texas

Yesterday, Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, M.D., visited the HHS Region VI Office in Dallas, TX where he met with doctors to discuss the challenges that patients and providers face under our current healthcare system.

Secretary Price opened the listening session with greetings from President Trump, who has heard from patients, families, doctors, small business owners, and others all around this country, about the challenges posed by Obamacare. Specifically, Texans have seen on average an 82% premium increase since 2013, under Obamacare. In 2014, 1,066,360 families paid $247.5 million in penalties. In 2017, 94 out of 254 counties had only one insurer, 86% of counties had two or fewer choices, and eight insurers left the Texas marketplace.

During the listening session, Secretary Price heard from doctors who have witnessed the real-life consequences of these detrimental facts and figures. Each shared their unique perspective on how Obamacare has adversely affected their patients and practices.

Dr.  Ivette C. Lozano of Dallas, TX described how Obamacare, in her words, has “absolutely devastated her practice.” She said that 60% of her patients can no longer come to see her, since the implementation of Obamacare. Dr. Lozano described stories of low- and middle- income patients, some of whom are business owners, whose premiums have skyrocketed and now have unaffordable $6,000-$8,000 deductibles. She described that her patients and she are hoping to repeal and replace Obamacare so that patients can have access to affordable insurance which would allow them to see primary care doctors.

Secretary Price explained to the group and Dr. Lozano that, “Patients are the focus of where we’re putting our efforts. We must work towards choices and flexibility that are necessary for patients, physicians, and allow states to fashion programs that actually work for their citizens. That’s our goal and we’re moving in that direction with the Senate bill.”

Many individual participants provided their own,troubling stories of their patients and practices being harmed by Obamacare. Secretary Price thanked the participants for sharing their stories and explained that the Trump Administration is working to put patients, families, and doctors in charge of medical decisions and to provide relief from the negative consequences of Obamacare. He and President Trump are committed to reforming our nation’s healthcare system to provide access to better, more affordable healthcare for Texans and all Americans.

The following individuals participated:

• Compton Broders III, MD—University Park, TX
• Craig Callewart, MD—Dallas, TX
• Don R. Read, MD—Dallas, TX
• Ivette C. Lozano, MD—Dallas, TX
• J. Scott Holliday, DO, MBA—Dallas, TX
• John Gill, MD—Dallas, TX
• Katrina Bradford, MD—Richardson, TX
• Stuart Simon, MD—Dallas, TX