Earnest: We Cut Money for Vaccines Program Because ObamaCare Makes Vaccines Free

EARNEST: “Mr. Viqueira."

VIQUEIRA: “Sure. Back on vaccines, it's been reported, people who dug through the budget found that the so-called 317 program on immunizations has been cut in the president's proposal by 8 percent, or $50 million. If the president believes that everybody should get vaccinated, why would he cut that program?”

EARNEST: “Yeah. Mike, I’m glad you asked that program, and the reason is we can take away funding for that program because of the Affordable Care Act. Because the Affordable Care Act actually guarantees that every citizen in this country has access to free preventative care including the Measles vaccine. So we no longer need to provide additional government funding to insure that those vaccines can be administered. This is a great example of how the Affordable Care Act is actually cutting costs, not just for families and businesses across the country, but also for the federal government.”

VIQUEIRA: “And yet the CDC in its recommendation on the budget asked for not less money, but more money. Are they unaware of the beneficial effects of the Affordable Care Act as you describe them?”

EARNEST: “You’d have to ask them why they believe additional funding is necessary. But the fact of the matter is no longer -- or to the extent that anybody was using money as an excuse to not get their kid vaccinated, thanks to the Affordable Care  Act they don't have to worry about that anymore. That people who are covered under the Affordable Care Act through essentially getting health insurance through the market places, we have required that those insurance programs include free preventative coverage including vaccinations like those against Measles. So that is one of the other benefits of the Affordable Care Act both in terms of reducing costs, but also in terms of making people healthier.”