Senate panel approves Tavenner as CMS head but final vote is on hold
The Senate Finance Committee unanimously approved Marilyn Tavenner to head the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on April 23, but a vote by the full Senate has been blocked.
Tavenner has been temporarily running CMS for the past two years, and now faces a full Senate vote before she officially can assume the CMS administrator position. Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, derailed the full vote, at least temporarily, by placing a hold on the nomination.
The committee vote follows a vetting hearing on April 9, where Tavenner drew wide bipartisan support. On Tuesday, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) applauded the committee’s approval for Tavenner.
“We need a strong, effective administrator at CMS to make sure Medicare and Medicaid run effectively and efficiently,” Baucus said. “Marilyn’s vast experience and thorough understanding of healthcare administration make her the right choice for administrator of CMS. I look forward to working with her as we work to strengthen our healthcare safety net and implement the healthcare law.”
Tavenner began her career in healthcare as a nurse in 1981, steadily rose through the private sector in hospital administration, and served the Commonwealth of Virginia as secretary of health and human resources for four years. She joined CMS in 2010 as principal deputy administrator—CMS’ second-ranking official—and oversaw policy development and implementation. Tavenner became acting administrator of CMS in 2011 and was re-nominated this year.
Jeremy Lazarus, MD, president of the American Medical Association urged the Senate to swiftly confirm Tavenner.
“She has been an effective leader during her tenure as the acting administrator for CMS, and we are extremely pleased that the Senate Finance Committee has voted in favor of her nomination,” Lazarus said. “CMS has been led by acting administrators for many years, and during this important time for the Medicare and Medicaid programs it is important to have a strong, well-qualified leader who is able to build consensus. Marilyn Tavenner has shown that she is the right person for the job.”
However, Harkin disagrees with the Obama adminstration's plans for a $15 billion fund for prevention and public health programs and wants to discuss its future.
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Editor Beth earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and master’s in health communication. She has worked in hospital, academic and publishing settings over the past 20 years. Beth joined TriMed in 2005, as editor of CMIO and Clinical Innovation + Technology. When not covering all things related to health IT, she spends time with her husband and three children.