Officials with U.S. Republican President Donald Trump’s administration want Nashville businessman Brad Smith to take charge of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation.
This, according to The Nashville Business Journal, which described this as “an influential role inside the nation’s top health care organization.”
“On Monday, Politico reported that the Trump administration plans to tap Smith to lead the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, according to three sources. Politico first reported that Smith was the leading candidate for the job in September,” The Business Journal reported.
“The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation is responsible for developing new payment and service delivery models, according to its website. Smith did not respond to a request for comment on the report.”
Smith is a former Rhodes scholar who founded Aspire Health in 2013 alongside for U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, according to The Business Journal.
Smith will reportedly replace Amy Bassano.
“The palliative care company grew rapidly after its launch, jumping from 200 employees in 2015 to more than 650 by the time it was sold to health insurance giant Anthem Inc. last year,” according to the news website.
“Smith, who stepped down as CEO of Aspire earlier this year, was previously chief of staff at the Tennessee Department of Economic Development and was a staffer for former U.S. Sen. Bob Corker.”
Congress created the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation in 2010 as part of Obamacare, according to The Business Journal.
Congress did this “with the purpose of testing ‘innovative payment and service delivery models to reduce program expenditures … while preserving or enhancing the quality of care,’” according to The Business Journal.
“Since its inception, the center has developed more than 40 new payment models, involving more than 200,000 health care providers and 18 million patients, according to a 2016 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services report to Congress,” the website said.
“The ACA has allocated $10 billion for the center over the next decade.”
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Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Brad Smith” by Nashville Institute for Faith and Work.
