Seema Verma, President Donald Trump's nominee for CMS administrator, appeared with confidence at a confirmation hearing with the Senate Finance Committee Thursday, but she was light on policy details, according to a report from The Hill.
Ms. Verma, who is a health consultant, led Medicaid reform in Indiana under then-Gov. Mike Pence. Her plan, the Health Indiana Plan 2.0, expanded Medicaid coverage to 246,000 Hoosiers. It requires enrollees to make monthly payments into health savings accounts, which come with penalties if they are missed. These payments range from $1 to $27 per month.
"The Healthy Indiana Plan is about empowering individuals to take ownership for their health. We believe in the potential for every individual to make decisions about their healthcare," she said during the hearing, according to The Hill.
She did not confirm if she supports block grants or per capita caps as strategies to reform Medicaid, though she did say the program can be improved. "What I support is the program working better, whether that is a block grant or per capita cap. There are many ways we can get there," she said, according to the report.
Once her nomination is processed by the Senate Finance Committee, the full Senate will take a vote.
Read the full report here.
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