Brad Smith appointed new CMMI leader

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced yesterday that Brad Smith will fill two leadership positions related to value-based care.

Smith will serve as both director of the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) at CMS and as senior advisor to HHS Secretary Alex Azar for Value-Based Transformation. The innovation center allows Medicare and Medicaid to test new payment and care delivery models.

Smith’s recent positions include chief operating officer at Anthem’s Diversified Business Group and co-founder and CEO of Aspire Health, which provides home-based palliative care for patients.

“Brad will help HHS and CMS continue and accelerate the value-based transformation work that we have begun under President Trump,” said Azar. “Brad has impressive experience with innovative care delivery and paying for value, and he will help expand Administrator Verma’s and CMS’s efforts to ensure Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries are getting better care, and better health, at a lower cost.”

“Brad’s experience thinking outside-the-box to improve healthcare as a successful entrepreneur, along with his stellar academic and policy background, have prepared him well to lead CMMI and bring innovative solutions to our healthcare system’s most pressing challenges,” said CMS Administrator Seema Verma. “I am excited that we have selected Brad to join the ranks of CMS.”