WASHINGTON (TIP): Indian-American healthcare consultant Seema Verma, on March 14, was sworn-in as the head of a key healthcare agency in the Donald Trump administration. The Senate on March 13 confirmed Verma as administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in a 55-to-43 vote. She was sworn in by U.S. Vice President Mike Pence as administrator of CMMS, which is part of the Department of Health and Human Services and oversees the Obamacare insurance markets, Medicare, and Medicaid.

“President Donald Trump has chosen one of the leading experts in America on state-based healthcare solutions to lead this important agency,” Vice President Pence said at the swearing-in ceremony at the White House. On November 29, 2016, President-elect Donald Trump nominated Verma to serve as administrator of the CMMS.

Verma is the founder and CEO of SVC Inc., a health policy consulting firm. She is president and CEO of the company, which has worked with the states of Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee. In preparation for the implementation of Obamacare, Verma and SVC Inc. have worked with state insurance agencies and public health agencies to redesign their Medicaid programs. She developed Medicaid reform programs, including waivers, for Ohio, Kentucky, and Iowa. Her firm provided technical assistance to the state of Michigan in the implementation of their Section 1115 Medicaid waiver. SVC also assisted Tennessee in their coverage expansion proposal and supported Iowa’s Medicaid transition to managed care.

Following the passage of Obamacare, Verma worked with Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels on health care policy. She was the architect of the Healthy Indiana Plan. The health insurance program, designed for people with low income, requires participants to pay into a health savings account and has high deductibles.[3] According to Verma, “you have to make your contribution every month, with a 60-day grace period. If you don’t make the contribution, you’re out of the program for 12 months. It’s a strong personal responsibility mechanism.” The Healthy Indiana Plan received support from the Indiana legislature and passed into law in January 2008. She later created the related “HIP 2.0” under Governor Mike Pence.

Prior to consulting, Ms. Verma served as Vice President of Planning for the Health & Hospital Corporation of Marion County and as a Director with the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) in Washington D.C.