Dr. Meena Seshamani Named Director Of CMS’ Center For Medicare

Modern Healthcare: Health System Executive Named Medicare Chief
President Joe Biden's administration has selected a former not-for-profit health system executive as director of CMS' Center for Medicare, an office that oversees health benefits for tens of millions of seniors, people with disabilities and dialysis patients. Dr. Meena Seshamani, who most recently was vice president of clinical care transformation at MedStar Health, started her new position Tuesday. Seshamani is a medical doctor and holds a PhD in health economics. At MedStar Health, Seshamani "conceptualized, designed and implemented" public health and value-based care initiatives and oversaw efforts around community health, geriatrics and palliative care, according to a CMS news release. (Hellmann, 7/6)

Becker's Hospital Review: CMS Names New Center For Medicare Director
Dr. Meena Seshamani, MD, will step up as the new CMS deputy administrator and director of Center for Medicare, the agency said July 6.Prior to joining CMS, Dr. Seshamani served as vice president of clinical care transformation at MedStar Health where she designed and integrated a nationally recognized care model oversight department that was recognized by the CMS Hospital Improvement Innovation Network, among others. Dr. Seshamani also helped lead the Biden-Harris transition HHS agency review team and was previously director of the Office of Health Reform at HHS. While at HHS, she also helped implement the Affordable Care Act. (Moran, 7/6)

Forbes: How To Lead In A Crisis And Come Out Stronger: An Interview With Physician-Leader Dr. Meena Seshamani
For the nearly two-thirds of American adults who are at least partially vaccinated against Covid-19—just shy of President Joe Biden’s July Fourth 70% goal—this pandemic may already feel like it’s in the past.  But for many healthcare leaders, the crisis has given way to a new challenge: how to address the structural problems exposed by the pandemic into the future. Dr. Meena Seshamani, vice president of clinical care transformation at MedStar Health and former director of the Office of Health Reform at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, was leading population health efforts for the Maryland and Washington, D.C.-based health system when the pandemic hit. She had to quickly shift her mindset and her focus to respond to the crisis. (Gordon, 6/30)

In news about Biden's immigration policy and infrastructure plan —

NBC News: Whistleblowers Allege Poor Care For Migrant Kids By Contractor Specializing In Disaster Cleanup
Children housed in one of the Biden administration's largest shelters for unaccompanied migrant minors were being watched over by contractors with no Spanish-language skills or experience in child care who usually stood idly at the edge of crowded tents, according to two federal workers who have come forward to file a whistleblower complaint to Congress. The contractor for the Department of Health and Human Services, Servpro, specializes in cleanup after water, fire and storm disasters. It shows no record of having handled a contract related to child welfare before it took on the care of nearly 5,000 children who were housed at the facility at Fort Bliss, Texas, in May. (Ainsley, 7/7)

Modern Healthcare: Immigrant Children Face Healthcare Challenges Even After Gaining Citizenship
Children living in the U.S. without citizenship status are four times more likely to go uninsured and more than twice as likely to receive delayed care than a sibling who achieves citizenship, according to a new study. These kids are also more likely to have relatively worse health outcomes and lower wages later in life, the Health Affairs research published Tuesday shows. That's despite 69% of them becoming citizens by the age of 30 and over 80% of them achieving citizenship by age 50. More so than income, area, or race, citizenship is the greatest indicator of whether a child will go uninsured. (Gellman, 7/6)

Axios: Health Care Has Few Plans To Address The Aging Immigrant Population 
Health care systems in the U.S. are largely unprepared to deal with aging immigrants, according to a new report published in Health Affairs. Why it matters: The group skews older than U.S.-born adults, the study warns, and many of these aging immigrants aren't eligible for Medicare and Medicaid. Even aging documented immigrants may have difficulty qualifying for Medicare because they need to account for at least 10 years of Social Security earnings to be eligible, the authors write. (Fernandez, 7/7)

The Hill: McConnell Vows 'Hell Of A Fight' Over Biden Infrastructure Plan 
Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) vowed Tuesday that Republicans would wage a "hell of a fight" over attempts by Democrats to pass a sweeping multitrillion-dollar infrastructure plan along party lines. McConnell, speaking at an event in Kentucky, predicted that there would be a "big argument" about Democrats' plan to use reconciliation, which allows them to bypass Republicans in the Senate, to pass large swaths of President Biden's jobs and families plan. (Carney, 7/6)