Healthcare policy consultant Seema Verma has been confirmed as administrator of the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
Verma founded healthcare consulting firm SVC in 2001 and has worked with a number of states in designing Medicaid programs. She is perhaps best known for her work in Indiana on the state's Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP) for low-income individuals, which employs health savings accounts and insurance with high deductibles.
Verma also worked with Vice President Mike Pence when he was governor of Indiana on the HIP 2.0 plan, which expanded Medicaid under Obamacare. The plan covers about 420,000 people in the state.
Verma replaces Andy Slavitt, who was acting administrator of CMS from March 2015 to January 2017.
