President Donald Trump could be close to naming former Eli Lilly exec Alex Azar as new Secretary of HHS, according to reports.
President Donald Trump could be close to naming former Eli Lilly executive Alex Azar as new Secretary of Health and Human Services, according to reports.
Azar, if tapped, would replace former Secretary Tom Price who resigned in September following controversies over expensive travel costs using privately chartered flights. HHS is a familiar role for Azar, who served five years as president of Lilly USA, the company’s U.S. operations division. Azar spent many years at HHS, first as general counsel from 2001 to 2005, then he spent the next two years as deputy secretary of HHS.
Azar resigned from Eli Lilly following the retirement of John C. Lechleiter, the company’s former longtime chief executive officer. Since leaving, Lilly Azar founded Seraphim Strategies, which provides strategic consulting and counsel on the biopharmaceutical and health insurance industries, according to his LinkedIn profile.
This morning, Bloomberg reported that Azar is the leading candidate for the HHS role, citing sources familiar with the matter. But Bloomberg noted that Trump could easily change his mind and go with another choice to head up the HHS. Scott Gottlieb, the head of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, has also been rumored to be considered for the role. Another candidate that could be selected by the president is Seema Verma, the administrator for the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Whoever Trump selects to helm HHS is likely to signal how Trump plans to proceed with his attempts at repealing or replacing the Affordable Care Act, the signature piece of legislation from former President Barack Obama.
Bloomberg said Azar has been an advocate for more flexibility from the states under the Obamacare (ACA) law. From interviews, it seems that Azar is not a strong supporter of the ACA, but in an interview with Bloomberg he said there are some changes that can be made that will make the program work better than it has. The HHS secretary has broad authority over many parts of the ACA.
If Verma is tapped, pundits have predicted that would signal that Trump wants to keep up the attacks on the healthcare program. A Gottlieb choice would likely indicate that dismantling the ACA is not a top priority. As head of the FDA, Gottlieb has pushed for speeding up the approval process for new drugs.
Regardless of Trump’s choice for the next HHS chief, the confirmation battle will likely be a tough one. Democrats will likely fight tooth and nail to protect Obamacare – which has seen strong signups this year for coverage, Bloomberg noted. Lawmakers will also likely scrutinize any investments a nominee has that might suggest a conflict of interest, such as Price underwent.
