For the second time, President Obama has nominated Marilyn Tavenner to be administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), an $820 billion federal agency that ensures health care coverage for 100 million Americans, with 10 regional offices and more than 4,000 employees nationwide. The post requires Senate confirmation. If confirmed, she will be the first permanent CMS administrator in seven years. Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) said Feb. 12 that the panel will hold a hearing on the nomination soon and he expects it to clear the full Senate. Tavenner has served as the agency’s principal deputy administrator under former chief Donald Berwick and has been acting CMS administrator since December 2011 when she was first nominated to fill the position on a permanent basis, following Berwick’s departure. The Senate, however, did not hold a hearing on the nomination. A nurse and former hospital executive, she served as Virginia’s secretary of health and human resources under former Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) and before that was a member of the board of the American Hospital Association (AHA). The president’s Feb. 7 announcement was greeted by strong support from health care provider and industry groups who urged […]
For the second time, President Obama has nominated Marilyn Tavenner to be administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), an $820 billion federal agency that ensures health care coverage for 100 million Americans, with 10 regional offices and more than 4,000 employees nationwide.
The post requires Senate confirmation. If confirmed, she will be the first permanent CMS administrator in seven years. Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) said Feb. 12 that the panel will hold a hearing on the nomination soon and he expects it to clear the full Senate.
Tavenner has served as the agency’s principal deputy administrator under former chief Donald Berwick and has been acting CMS administrator since December 2011 when she was first nominated to fill the position on a permanent basis, following Berwick’s departure. The Senate, however, did not hold a hearing on the nomination.
A nurse and former hospital executive, she served as Virginia’s secretary of health and human resources under former Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) and before that was a member of the board of the American Hospital Association (AHA).
The president’s Feb. 7 announcement was greeted by strong support from health care provider and industry groups who urged the Senate to confirm her quickly.
“Simply stated, she is the best-qualified person in the country to serve as CMS administrator based upon her outstanding leadership skills, exceptional knowledge of health policy and the health care industry, experience as a caregiver, and the qualities she already has demonstrated running CMS,” said the Federation of American Hospitals.
“As the acting administrator for CMS, she has proven to be an effective, thoughtful leader,” said the American Medical Association. “She actively seeks input and considers various sides of an issue, making sure all stakeholders have an opportunity to be heard during decisionmaking processes.”
The AHA said her “varied and rich background as a nurse, health care executive, and government official at the state and national levels gives her a unique perspective and demonstrates that she is a very capable leader of the Medicare and Medicaid programs.”
Former CMS Administrator Thomas A. Scully also weighed in with his support, telling BNA that Tavenner is well regarded by Democrats and Republicans and “there’s no conceivable reason she should not be confirmed.” He said it is crucial that CMS have a Senate-confirmed administrator because it allows that person to act more boldly in setting policy. “It’s very important top-to-bottom. It’s not a good idea to have an agency that big rudderless.”
