The Health 202: Biden is expected to unwind dozens of Trump-era health-care

Biden will have no significant Senate majority to pass his more ambitious proposals, such as a public option. Yet after spending the 2020 campaign season promising to improve the nation’s health-care system, Democrats will be under heavy pressure to deliver.

“I think there is an incredibly strong message…that health care and drug pricing issues helped deliver the White House in 2020, so now you have to do something on these issues,” said Maura Calsyn, a health-policy expert at the liberal Center for American Progress. “There’s just no time to wait.”

Larry Levitt, executive vice president at the Kaiser Family Foundation:

Democratic advisers told me they expect many old faces — mixed with some new ones — to return to top appointee slots at the Department of Health and Human Services and health adviser roles at the White House. The administration may especially focus on appointing doctors to key roles, given the severity of the coronavirus pandemic and the Trump administration’s shortcomings on that front.

“I do think there will be a course correction for wanting to have more scientists and doctors,” said Kavita Patel, who served in the Obama White House as a policy director.

Vivek Murthy, who served as surgeon general under President Barack Obama, is viewed as a top pick for HHS secretary, as well as New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. 

Biden has already chosen Murthy to help lead his new coronavirus task force. The 13-member group will also be co-led by former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner David Kessler and Yale University’s Marcella Nunez-Smith. The members, who were announced this morning, include prominent bioethicist Zeke Emanuel and Rick Bright, a Trump administration whistleblower who alleged his early warnings about the pandemic were ignored.

For administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services — the mammoth subagency within HHS that oversees the federal health insurance programs — contenders could include North Carolina health secretary Mandy Cohen — who served at CMS during the Obama administration — and former Louisiana health secretary Rebekah Gee.

Christen Linke Young, who was a CMS deputy director, and Patel could also be in the mix for top HHS or CMS spots.

For Food and Drug Administration commissioner, Josh Sharfstein and Amy Abernethy are under consideration. Sharfstein was considered for the spot under Obama, but instead made principal deputy commissioner; Abernethy currently serves as the agency’s principal deputy commissioner of Food and Drugs.

And in the White House, Biden probably will surround himself with several Obama veterans, perhaps including Emanuel, former Ebola czar Ron Klain, former HHS secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell and Andy Slavitt, who ran CMS in Obama’s second term.

One of the administration’s first moves is expected to be opening Healthcare.gov for a special enrollment period and reinstating advertising funds the Trump administration slashed — a move that…