Former Bush officials urge Senate to confirm Obama’s Medicare chief

A group of Republican-appointed health officials is urging the Senate to confirm President Obama’s nominee take over one of the government’s biggest health agencies.

Two former health secretaries and four former Medicare chiefs — all appointed by former President George W. Bush — are urging the Senate to confirm Andy Slavitt as administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

{mosads}“The Administrator’s role requires a strong, seasoned executive able to make sound policy and operational judgments. Mr. Slavitt has demonstrated that ability in and out of government, in times of crisis and calm,” the former agency heads wrote.

All six said they have previously worked with Slavitt and believe “he is able to communicate and work with Congress constructively.” The group is led by former HHS Secretary Michael Leavitt, who left office in 2009.

The Republican appointees also praised Slavitt for his lengthy resume in the private sector, which they said gives him the deep understanding of health markets that “CMS desperately needs at this time.”

Slavitt was brought into the Obama administration to save HealthCare.gov after the crash-prone website’s shaky rollout in 2013. He most recently worked for UnitedHealthGroup, and was subcontracted by the government as a fix-it service for ObamaCare’s rollout throughout the fall.

That position has raised concerns of potential conflicts of interest from Republicans such as Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa.).

Slavitt is already serving as interim leader of CMS. The agency’s long-time chief, Marilyn Tavenner, stepped down early this year. Tavenner had been confirmed in 2011 after a rocky confirmation hearing, becoming the agency’s first permanent leader in six years.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has not said when he will consider the nomination, though he made it clear that the hearings will focus squarely on the politics of ObamaCare.

“While Andy Slavitt’s nomination will receive thorough consideration in the Senate, it has long been clear that no one can successfully manage a law as unworkable as ObamaCare. The sole focus of CMS should be to look out for our nation’s seniors and the many vulnerable Americans who use these programs, without the distraction of Obamacare,” McConnell wrote in a statement last week.