It’s looking more and more like the U.S. Senate will confirm Marilyn Tavenner as administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Ms. Tavenner, a nurse and former hospital executive, has been serving as acting administrator at the agency since Dr. Donald Berwick stepped down in November 2011. But until recently, she couldn’t even get a hearing on her nomination.
That all changed on April 9, when Ms. Tavenner appeared before the Senate Finance Committee. Not only was she praised by senators of both parties, she was strongly endorsed by House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R.-Va.), a chief opponent of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and most of the administration’s health care policies. He attended the Senate hearing to introduce Ms. Tavenner, with whom he worked during his time in the Virginia House of Delegates.
Ms. Tavenner’s supporters praised her as a "practical" and "nonideological" leader who works hard to solve problems. The senators on the committee also gushed over her diverse work experience.
Ms. Tavenner started her career in the trenches, as a nurse. Later she became a hospital CEO and in 2001 was promoted to president of the Hospital Corporation of America’s Central Atlantic division, overseeing 20 hospitals. She also has government experience. She served for 4 years as Virginia’s Secretary of Health and Human Resources, working for then-Gov. Tim Kaine. Mr. Kaine (D-Va.) now serves in the U.S. Senate.
While the senators were complimentary about Ms. Tavenner, they also complained about the lack of information coming out of her agency on the implementation of the ACA, in particular the health insurance exchanges. Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) said they are still waiting for detailed answers from the CMS about the cost of running the federally facilitated exchanges.
She was also asked about the Sustainable Growth Rate formula and the looming cuts to Medicare physician fees. Ms. Tavenner said she agrees that the SGR should be replaced.
mschneider@frontlinemedcom.com
On Twitter @MaryEllenNY