Head of CMS says Medicare for all is 'scary'

Amy Baxter | | Health Exec | Management
Seema Verma

CMS Administrator Seema Verma, MPH

CMS Administrator Seema Verma further waded into the debate over Medicare for all on Halloween when she tweeted an image of a "Medicare for all" T-shirt with the comment that it's the “scariest Halloween costume" of the year.

As CMS administrator, Verma is in charge of running Medicare and Medicaid, which provide healthcare coverage to millions of Americans.

Verma has previously stated her opposition for Medicare for all as the idea has picked up steam among Democrats.

She doubled down on the stance later in the day, tweeting, “Medicare for All isn’t a joke… it’s government controlled healthcare that will strip choice away from millions. It’s a bad idea. And it IS scary.”

See the full story below:

Medicare head tweets 'scariest Halloween costume' would be Medicare for all

Amy Baxter
Amy Baxter

Amy joined TriMed Media as a Senior Writer for HealthExec after covering home care for three years. When not writing about all things healthcare, she fulfills her lifelong dream of becoming a pirate by sailing in regattas and enjoying rum. Fun fact: she sailed 333 miles across Lake Michigan in the Chicago Yacht Club "Race to Mackinac."

Related Content

Q&A: Proposed changes to Social Security Act would recognize pharmacists as healthcare providers
FDA issues Class I recall on counterfeit infusion pump batteries
FDA issues alert on PCNL sheath safety after patient death
Bipartisan bills in Congress would force insurance companies, PBMs to sell pharmacies
Anthem BCBS reverses course on anesthesia time limits
FDA issues Class I recall on insulin syringes due to risk of death

Around the web

Cardiovascular Business
FDA says years-long tirzepatide shortage is resolved, will give limited leeway to compounders

The tirzepatide shortage that first began in 2022 has been resolved. Drug companies distributing compounded versions of the popular drug now have two to three more months to distribute their remaining supply.

AI in Healthcare
From Capitol Hill to a hospital near you? 5 federal recommendations for healthcare AI policy

The 24 members of the House Task Force on AI—12 reps from each party—have posted a 253-page report detailing their bipartisan vision for encouraging innovation while minimizing risks. 

Cardiovascular Business
Merck spends up to $2B to license new weight loss drug with potential heart benefits

Merck sent Hansoh Pharma, a Chinese biopharmaceutical company, an upfront payment of $112 million to license a new investigational GLP-1 receptor agonist. There could be many more payments to come if certain milestones are met.