Andy Slavitt, a former healthcare executive who served as CMS administrator during the Obama administration, launched a new nonprofit aimed at promoting grassroots healthcare policy, according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.
Mr. Slavitt was a group executive vice president at UnitedHealth Group when he led a troubleshooting team that helped rescue HealthCare.gov during the website's troubled rollout in 2013. He later served as CMS administrator from 2015 to 2017, and now, his new nonprofit venture — United States of Care — will focus on improving access to healthcare. The group, however, will not dedicate any resources to lobbying.
United States of Care will be co-headquartered in Washington, D.C., and Minneapolis. Its board of directors includes former Sen. David Durenberger, R-Minn., and Penny Wheeler, MD, president and CEO of Minneapolis-based Allina Health.
Mr. Slavitt said the nonprofit is necessary because people cannot count on politicians to craft effective healthcare legislation.
"People around healthcare are concerned that if we wait for Washington to fix things, we're point to end up with either a solution that is only backed by one party or we'll remain in a volatile situation," said Mr. Slavitt, according to The Minneapolis Star-Tribune.