McClellan to Leave CMS
BY ARIELLA P. GOLOMB, MD, SEPTEMBER 5, 2006
In an email to his staff today, Mark B. McClellan, MD, PhD, Administrator of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) since March 2004 announced that he will be leaving CMS by early October. Dr. McClellan did not announce his future plans, but the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) (subscription required) speculated today that he may return to academia or join a think tank. For most of his two-and-a-half year tenure, Dr. McClellan focused on the new prescription drug benefit. More recently, he supported performance measurement initiatives and payment reform.
We last heard Dr. McClellan speak at the MDMA conference earlier this year where he described his mission for CMS as (1) providing a clear and predictable reimbursement environment (2) having payment accurately reflect value and (3) ensuring good evidence exists to support what works. We hope that whomever fills his shoes (WSJ speculates it may be his deputy, Leslie Norwalk) will be as qualified and passionate an advocate for prevention and quality treatment.
