Hatch on Nomination of Andy Slavitt to Head the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

WASHINGTON – Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) issued the following statement after President Obama nominated Andy Slavitt to serve as Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS):

“As the nation's largest insurer, CMS holds the key to the types of services and quality of care provided to some of our nation’s most vulnerable citizens receiving Medicare and Medicaid. The next chief will be charged with putting these critical healthcare programs back on a strong fiscal footing, overseeing the implementation of portions of the President's health law, and managing a budget larger than the Department of Defense. This is an agency whose impact on the lives of millions of Americans and the nation’s healthcare system as a whole carries significant weight. Mr. Slavitt’s conflicted history in the medical services industry has produced mixed results and raised a number of serious concerns. As such, he will be expected to demonstrate that he is up to the challenge and capable of successfully leading the agency through the monumental tasks that lie ahead.  Most importantly, Mr. Slavitt will need to answer a number of tough questions regarding his former employer and their relationship with the agency.”

NOTE: Slavitt joined CMS in June of 2014 after serving as group executive vice president of United Health Group’s Optum, and was appointed Acting Administrator of CMS in January 2015. Optum’s subsidiaries were original contractors for the failed http://HealthCare.gov rollout.  

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