Situation Report | March 1, 2021
President Biden has nominated Chiquita White Brooks-LaSure to be the Administrator for the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), a branch within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Liz Richter is currently serving as acting CMS Administrator following the departure of President Trump’s appointee, Seema Verma. Brooks-LaSure’s appointment requires Senate confirmation.
Formerly as deputy director for policy at the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight within CMS, and earlier as director of coverage policy at HHS, Brooks-LaSure led implementation of Affordable Care Act coverage and insurance reform policy provisions. This followed a role as a staffer on the House Ways and Means Committee and as Director at Avalere Health, a health care consulting firm.
Brooks-LaSure began her career as a program examiner and lead Medicaid analyst for the Office of Management and Budget, coordinating Medicaid policy development for the health financing branch.
She is currently a Managing Director at Manatt Health where she provides strategic advice to health care stakeholders across the private and public sectors.
The CMS Administrator has an influential role over home and community-based services, payments and regulations. The agency’s responsibilities include the implementation of Conditions of Participation, Medicare audits, and Medicare payment systems like the Patient Driven Groupings Model and the overall rate structure of the Prospective Payment System, among many other areas affecting HCA members.
Becerra Confirmation Hearings to Lead HHS
As previously reported, the Biden administration has appointed California Attorney General Xavier Becerra to be HHS Secretary, a cabinet-level position. The Senate held confirmation hearings last week for Becerra’s appointment. HCA will report back on the outcome.