Who Is Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, First Black Woman To Lead Medicare, Medicaid Services?

US President Joe Biden has picked Chiquita Brooks-LaSure to run the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). If confirmed by the Senate, Brooks-LaSure would be the first Black woman to head the post, sources told CNN.

Reportedly, CMS is the largest operating division of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) which has services including Medicare, Medicaid, children’s health insurance and worked to implement the 2010 Affordable Care Act “Obamacare".

Prior to this, Brooks-LaSure was part of the Obama administration. Before that, she was also leading Democratic staff for the House Ways and Means Committee, where she also worked on the landmark health reform law. She had held health policy jobs at the White House. Most recently, she worked for the Biden's transition's “landing team” for the Department of Health and Human Services. Brooks-LaSure is currently working as the managing director at Manatt Health consultancy. She consults on health care financing issues.

Chiquita Brooks-LaSure appointment, if confirmed, would ensure Biden's plans to rebuild the Affordable Care Act and strengthen Medicaid in America, The Washington Post reported.

Brooks-LaSure holds A.B. in Politics degree from Princeton University and a Master of Public Policy from Georgetown University. Brooks-LaSure "gets the imperative of securing greater affordability for beneficiaries, taxpayers, and Medicare, Medicaid and the ACA marketplaces,” said Chris Jennings, a health policy adviser to Democrats. “She is well-respected and liked by the department veterans who have worked with her in the past.”

Feature Image Credit: CNN