Tavenner to step down at end of February

Marilyn Tavenner, top administrator for Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, has announced that she is stepping down from her position at the end of February.

Tavenner had served as acting administrator of CMS since late 2011, and was confirmed in May 2013 as the permanent chief of the agency.

In a letter to staff, Tavenner said the implementation of Affordable Care Act added new complexities and challenges to the administration of Medicare and Medicaid.

"With those changes came a whole new set of responsibilities and a spotlight that brightly shown on all of us as we managed the largest federal agency budget, strong opinions across the nation, and our ultimate mission of improving our country's healthcare system and saving lives," she wrote to CMS employees. "But with your hard work, dedication, commitment and resolve, you cleared the path and laid out a plan for all that we needed to accomplish. As a result, you are truly transforming healthcare in this country."

Andy Slavitt, who serves as CMS principal deputy administrator, will become acting CMS administrator upon her departure. Slavitt, a former technology executive with UnitedHealth Group’s Optum division, was hired last summer to help solve technical problems with HealthCare.gov and other state exchange websites.