House Speaker Paul Ryan, center, standing with Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden, right, and House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy, speaks during a news conference on the American Health Care Act on Capitol Hill on March 7. | AP Photo Medicaid official tweets opposition to Obamacare repeal bill

A Health and Human Services Department official expressed opposition to Republicans’ Obamacare repeal bill Wednesday night in a tweet that went viral, marking a rare sign of dissent in an administration that puts a high premium on loyalty.

Andrey Ostrovsky, Medicaid’s top medical officer, said he’s siding with medical groups opposing the Republican health care plan, including the American Medical Association and organizations representing pediatricians and family doctors.


“Despite political messaging from others at HHS, I align with experts” from those groups, wrote Ostrovsky, a pediatrician.

His tweet came as two House committees were in the middle of marathon markups of the GOP’s repeal bill, which would phase out Medicaid expansion and replace Obamacare’s insurance subsidies with a new scheme of tax credits.

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Ostrovsky is a career staffer — not a political appointee — who’s been in his current post since September. Former Obama administration officials applauded him for speaking his mind.

"I think he's exactly the kind of person and physician [HHS] Secretary [Tom] Price should want on his team," said Andy Slavitt, who until recently ran Medicare and Medicaid.

Ostrovsky declined POLITICO's request for comment Wednesday night.



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