Andy Slavitt, who has served as acting administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services since the beginning of March, has been nominated to be permanent head of the Medicare agency.
The White House announced the nomination early Thursday evening. Already some key Republicans have expressed concern because of Slavitt’s ties to the troubled HealthCare.gov insurance marketplace, a symbol of GOP opposition to the Affordable Care Act.
“While Andy Slavitt’s nomination will receive thorough consideration in the Senate, it has long been clear that no one can successfully manage a law as unworkable as Obamacare,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said in a statement. “The sole focus of CMS should be to look out for our nation’s seniors and the many vulnerable Americans who use these programs, without the distraction of Obamacare.”
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Slavitt joined CMS a year ago as principal deputy administrator, in charge of HealthCare.Gov, after serving as executive vice president of Optum, the analytics and data unit of health insurer UnitedHealth Group.
Optum subsidiary Quality Software Services Inc. developed the HealthCare.gov registration module, but did not build enough capacity to handle the demand in the fall of 2013. After lead contractor CGI Federal took much of the heat for the website’s initial failure, QSSI was given a larger role in fixing the problems.
Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) told Bloomberg that Slavitt’s ties to Optum and QSSI could be problematic. “Slavitt will need to answer a number of tough questions regarding his former employer and their relationship with the agency,” Bloomberg quoted Hatch as saying.
For its part, the liberal Center for American Progress praised Slavitt, suggesting that there really is a partisan divide over more than just the Affordable Care Act. “Throughout his career, Andy’s keen interest has been helping the healthcare industry better serve consumers. Seniors, children, and low-income Americans as well as people from all walks of life who rely on CMS will be greatly served by a leader of such commitment and dedication to the best possible care for them,” CAP President Neera Tanden said in a prepared statement.
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Slavitt was named acting CMS administrator in March, following the resignation of Marilyn Tavenner. In May 2013, Tavenner became the first CMS leader confirmed by the Senate since Dr. Mark McClellan stepped down in 2006.
