Here are four things to know about Mr. Slavitt and the nomination.
1. Mr. Slavitt is currently acting administrator for CMS, a role he has held since March. He initially joined CMS in 2014 as principal deputy administrator.
2. Prior to joining CMS, Mr. Slavitt was an executive vice president at UnitedHealth Group’s Optum unit, which helped revive HealthCare.gov after its initial rocky rollout.
3. Mr. Slavitt’s nomination needs to be approved by the U.S. Senate.
4. Mr. Slavitt’s nomination has already sparked numerous reactions. U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), a member and former chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, said Mr. Slavitt will have to answer questions about his work at UnitedHealth, according to Bloomberg. “Mr. Slavitt’s conflicted history in the medical services industry has produced mixed results and raised a number of serious concerns,” Sen. Hatch said in a statement. “Slavitt will need to answer a number of tough questions regarding his former employer and their relationship with the agency.” According to the report, groups representing hospitals and physicians said they were pleased by the nomination.
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