Appointments we can believe in

Anyone who has worked over the years to support access to health care for low-income children and families will be heartened to learn that the Obama administration has appointed Cindy Mann to lead the Centers for Medicaid and State Operations, which is the division within the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) that oversees the Medicaid and CHIP programs. Cindy is a highly passionate, intelligent, and experienced health care expert. Most recently, she was founder and Director of the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families; before that, she was  Deputy Director of CMS (back in the days when it was still HCFA) in the Clinton administration.  There are few, if any, people more highly respected in the health care policy and advocacy world. You can read Cindy’s thoughts on her new appointment and on her stellar replacements at the Center for Children and Families, Joan Alker and Jocelyn Guyer.

As health care reform heats up, it is clear that the Medicaid program will be one of the pillars upon which a new system providing health insurance coverage to all Americans will be built.  While Medicaid faces many significant challenges in the years ahead, it will without question benefit from Cindy Mann’s strong leadership.