Biden and CMS in 2021
With a new president comes bright and shiny promises of improvements that are often and swiftly tainted by the reality of Congress and budgets. The same will be true for Biden, but one thing he does have on his side is an entirely Democratic Senate. Typically a Republic President will want a Republican Senate and visa versa for a Democratic President.
So what’s on the agenda? During his candidacy, Biden advocated for reducing the age requirement for Medicare from 65 to 60 and enacting Medicare for All. The likelihood of this happening in the next four year is slim, but there are other improvements that can be made. Congress will support healthcare cost reduction measures and increased access to healthcare. With Democratic control of the Senate, Biden will be able to make two key appointments: The Director of the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services and the Food and Drug Administration. Two of the most important health positions in the Federal Government.
Biden will be inaugurated in time to stop the removal of the Affordable Care Act. A focus on expanding healthcare, increasing access and reducing cost, we could see an expansion of the ACA. We might also see an expansion of Medicaid programs in historically conservative states of Texas, Florida and Georgia with the new Democratic Senators from those states.
With such a wide range of priorities, not only with healthcare, we will have to wait and see what makes the top of the list. Over the course of Biden’s four year term, we can expect to see an expansion and new voice from CMS. Historically CMS was the Health Care Financing Administration, and true to its name, innovated access and care models financed by the Federal government. Since 2001, the agency's name changed to the Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services, taking a fiscally conservative approach of less financing and more working with states and providers.
We can expect to see CMS move back towards its original inception, working with states to test out innovative programs while collaborating with Congress on broader Federal changes.