Tavenner confirmed as CMS head

Marilyn Tavenner was easily confirmed May 15 as the first permanent administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) since 2006.

“Marilyn brings with her a breadth of experience and expertise from virtually all angles of healthcare policy and delivery, having served as a hospital CEO, a state health official and a registered nurse," said Health & Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, in a release. "Marilyn will serve in a critical role at CMS as we work to improve the healthcare for hundreds of millions of Americans.”

Tavenner was the acting administrator for CMS, and previously served as principal deputy administrator. With the passage of the Affordable Care Act in March of 2010, Tavenner is also responsible for overseeing CMS as it implements the insurance reforms and Health Insurance Marketplaces included in the health reform law.

Prior to assuming her CMS leadership role, Tavenner served for four years as the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Secretary of Health and Human Resources. Tavenner also spent 25 years working for the Hospital Corporation of American (HCA). She began working as a nurse at the Johnston-Willis Hospital in Richmond, Va., in 1981 and steadily rose through the company as the hospital’s chief executive officer and, by 2001, had assumed responsibility for 20 hospitals as president of the company’s central Atlantic division. She finished her service to HCA in 2005 as group president of outpatient services, where she spearheaded the development of a national strategy for freestanding outpatient services, including physician recruitment and real estate development.

The 91-7 Senate vote followed glowing bipartisan praise for Tavenner, who has served as acting administrator since late 2011 when Donald Berwick, MPP, MD, stepped down.

“We need a confirmed administrator with all of the work that she has to do, especially implementing the Affordable Care Act,” Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), chairman of the Finance Committee, said in a floor speech shortly before her approval. Baucus addressed the work that remains to implement the major provisions of the complex Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, including the Oct. 1 start of enrollment in health insurance exchanges in all 50 states and expanded Medicaid enrollment in about half of them. He and other senators agreed that those tasks are much more easily handled by a confirmed administrator.

“The Senate's strong, bipartisan vote for Ms. Tavenner is a testament to her outstanding leadership and management skills and her exemplary performance running the agency as acting administrator,” Chip Kahn, president and CEO of the Federation of American Hospitals, said in a written statement.

“AHCA [American Health Care Association] is pleased to see the Senate confirm the first CMS administrator in nearly seven years,” Mark Parkinson, president and CEO of the AHCA, said in a written statement. “With nearly 80 percent of individuals relying on Medicare or Medicaid for their skilled nursing care, having a steady, experienced leader such as Marilyn Tavenner will be beneficial for patients and providers alike.”

A bump in the road to her confirmation came from a temporary hold placed on her by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) over his concerns that the Obama administration's fiscal 2014 budget proposed additional cuts to a prevention fund he advocated. Harkin released his hold on May 7.

“I believe Ms. Tavenner is strongly qualified to be the next CMS administrator and that it is urgent to have an effective leader at the helm of CMS as we enter a critical stage in implementing the Affordable Care Act,” he said.