A conservative GOP Congressman has been forced to apologize after admitting that he delayed taking his son who had a broken arm to an emergency room so that he could save money.

Rep. Bill Huizenga of Michigan told MLive.com that he and his wife opted to place a splint on their son's arm and wait until the next morning to take him to the doctor, rather than seek immediate but more costly treatment at an emergency room.

In the interview, Huizenga cited a 'cost difference' in his decision to skip the trip to the ER for his 10-year-old son.

Rep. Bill Huizenga (above), R-Mich., cited a decision to delay treatment of his son's broken arm as an example of the kind of choices Americans would face if Republicans' repeal of the health care law shifts more out-of-pocket costs to consumers

Huizenga (above with his family) told MLive.com that he and his wife opted to place a splint on their son's arm and wait until the next morning to take him to the doctor rather than seek immediate but more costly treatment at an emergency room

'We took every precaution and decided to go in the next morning,' Huizenga, who is an opponent of President Barack Obama's health care law, said.

'If he had been more seriously injured, we would have taken him in. ... When it (comes to) those type of things, do you keep your child home from school and take him the next morning to the doctor because of a cold or a flu, versus take him into the emergency room?

'If you don't have a cost difference, you'll make different decisions.'

The 47-year-old father-of-five, who is a supporter of tax-free health savings accounts to help people cover their medical bills, faced backlash over his comments on the decision to delay medical treatment for his 10-year-old son, whose arm did in fact turn out to be broken and not sprained.

In the interview, Huizenga (above with his family) cited a 'cost difference' in his decision to skip the trip to the ER for his 10-year-old son

Huizenga said in an interview with The Associated Press Wednesday that using the experience of his son's broken arm was a bad example to cite and that the cost of an emergency room visit didn't play a role in his decision as a parent.

The lawmaker, whose family is covered by Blue Cross Blue Shield, said that he 'made a poor choice of words'.

However, his view on health savings accounts remains the same, he said Wednesday.

'We as consumers and users of this need to get better acquainted with what are the true costs,' Huizenga said. 'HSAs can do that.'

His comments came as Republicans controlling Congress and President-elect Donald Trump are vowing to repeal and replace President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act, which has relied on mandated purchases of health insurance, greater Medicaid coverage, and federal subsidies to purchase health insurance to reduce the ranks of the nation's uninsured.

The lawmaker, whose family (above) is covered by Blue Cross Blue Shield, said that he 'made a poor choice of words' in talking about his son's medical treatment after facing criticism

The Congressman has represented Michigan's 2nd congressional district since 2011.

Before being elected to Congress, he served in Michigan's House of Representatives from 2003 to 2009.

Currently, Huizenga the co-owner and operator of Huizenga Gravel Company, which is a third generation family business located in Jenison.

Republicans, including Huizenga, have long supported market-based alternatives to the country's health care system such as health savings accounts, which, in concert with high-deductible plans, can lower the cost of coverage.

But such approaches can mean skipped emergency room visits and foregone tests, among other weaknesses.

More than 20million people receive health insurance under the Affordable Care Act.