Health Policy Expert Is Confirmed as Medicare and Medicaid Administrator
Seema Varma, a health policy expert from Indian, will be the lead on the Trump administration’s efforts to reverse the Affordable Care Act and implement a new form of Medicaid. The Senate voted their support of Verma 55 – 43, giving her the position of administration for the $1trn Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Verma was the lead on the Indiana Medicaid program, working with the now Vice President Mike Pence while he held the state governor position in Indiana. Verma’s experience with Medicare is more limited. The Indiana model offers Medicaid services, but requires beneficiaries to pay premiums, add funds to health savings accounts and to engage in healthy behaviour for incentives. Verma has had wide support from conservatives, but Democrats such as Senator Edward J. Markey have said that Verma has supported proposals that would negatively affect coverage for lower-income American citizens. Republicans plan to repeal large sections of the Affordable Healthcare Act or Obamacare, phasing out the Medicaid expansion that has provided health insurance for millions of citizens. Markey is concerned that Verma may push for legislation that would endanger the very sick and frail by putting them in high-risk pools. Verma has also expressed her belief that maternity care coverage should be optional, rather than required as it is under the ACA, a belief that has caused some concern.

Senator Orrin G. Hatch, Republican of Utah and chairman of the Finance Committee, said Ms. Verma was “the ideal candidate to oversee the reform of the Medicaid program,” as she had worked well with members of both parties in Indiana and in other states.

But Senator Edward J. Markey, Democrat of Massachusetts, said she has supported proposals that “create roadblocks to coverage for low-income Americans.” And she would have a major role in carrying out legislation to gut the Affordable Care Act and remake the Medicaid program, said Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon, the senior Democrat on the Finance Committee.

A plan by House Republicans, which was released last week, would repeal major parts of Mr. Obama’s health care law and would phase out the expansion of Medicaid that has brought coverage to millions of people.

Senate Democrats cast a wary eye on how Ms. Verma might enforce the legislation, if it is approved. Mr. Wyden said she “would be able to give states a green light to push the very frail and sick into high-risk pools” in which they could receive substandard coverage or be forced to pay more for the care they need. Senator Maria Cantwell, Democrat of Washington, said Ms. Verma in Indiana “made millions of dollars in consulting fees by kicking poor, working people off of Medicaid for failure to pay monthly contributions similar to premiums.”

And Senator Debbie Stabenow, Democrat of Michigan, said she was dismayed that Ms. Verma had suggested at her confirmation hearing last month that coverage of maternity care should be optional, not required, as it is now under the Affordable Care Act.