Sunday, February 1, 2015

Tavenner's Turn for Healthcare Gold

Bloomberg reported:

Marilyn Tavenner, the U.S. official who directed the stumbling roll-out of Obamacare (actually the law abbreviated as PPACA) as well as its recovery in recent months, will resign as head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMMS). 

Former HCA executive Tavenner can return to the private healthcare sector and cash in like her predecessors, Nancy-Ann DeParle, Tom Scully, Gail Wilenski and William Roper.


Ironically, Nancy-Ann DeParle designed PPACA in partnership with for-profit healthcare executives and their paid lobbyists.  


Ms. DeParle came from private equity to the White House Health Reform Office and returned to same as co-founder of Consonance Capital.  Who better to mine PPACA's topography for profits? 

Tavenner steps down the end of February and in her place will rise another for-profiteer.

Andy Slavitt, a former UnitedHealth Group Inc. executive who is the agency’s second highest-ranking official, will move into Tavenner’s job on a temporary basis, Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell 
Not that UnitedHealth executives helped craft PPACA and former Medicare-Medicaid Chief Gail Wilensky sits on their Board of Directors.. 

Former CMMS Chief Tom Scully is a private equity underwriter (PEU) with Welsh, Carson, Anderson and Stowe.

William L. Roper, another former Medicare-Medicaid Czar served with Nancy-Ann DeParle on DaVita's board.  Yes, the healthcare for-profiteer world is that small.  DaVita stopped an illegal kickback prosecution for behavior while both DeParle and Roper were on the board via a nearly $400 million settlement. 

A bright future awaits Ms. Tavenner, should she choose to follow in her predecessors footsteps.  Her boss' rewards should be even more splendorous.