Alex Azar confirmed as HHS secretary in largely partisan vote
The U.S. Senate confirmed former Eli Lilly executive Alex Azar as the next HHS secretary Jan. 24, with seven Democrats joining all but one Republican in a 55-43 vote.
Several of the “no” voters expressed concern over Eli Lilly’s track record of raising pharmaceutical prices while Azar headed its U.S. division. But supporters praised Azar’s experience at HHS under President George W. Bush, which included overseeing implementation of the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 and Medicare Advantage.
Notably, Azar differs from his predecessor Tom Price in supporting mandatory payment models, such as the bundled Cardiac Rehabilitation Incentive model canceled under Price.
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Daniel joined TriMed’s Chicago editorial team in 2017 as a Cardiovascular Business writer. He previously worked as a writer for daily newspapers in North Dakota and Indiana.