A few weeks ago, President Donald Trump nominated Alex Azar to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), following in the footsteps of Tom Price. The nomination – announced where else other than Twitter – said “Happy to announce, I am nominating Alex Azar to be the next HHS Secretary. He will be a star for better healthcare and lower drug prices!”
Azar has a history of involvement in the pharmaceutical world, including serving as HHS General Counsel and Deputy HHS Secretary under President George W. Bush. Mike Leavitt, the HHS Secretary when Azar was Deputy had kind words about his former colleague, noting, “He’s precise, highly motivated, he has high standards for performance for himself and for other people. He had full responsibility as deputy secretary for the regulatory processes at HHS.”
As HHS general counsel, Azar worked on the administration’s response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the ensuing anthrax attacks, stem-cell policy and the advent of the Medicare prescription drug benefits. During his tenure as deputy secretary, he pushed for greater disclosure of prices associated with medical services to help foster competition and contain costs. He also backed converting medical records to electronic form. He was confirmed for those previous positions by unanimous voice vote.
Azar recently spent five years at Eli Lilly, which makes several blockbuster medications, including the antidepressant Cymbalta and several forms of insulin. Insulin prices have drawn widespread ire because they keep spiraling higher, even though insulin has been around almost a century. During his tenure at Lilly, Azar sat on the Board of Directors of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO).
“Drug corporations have undue influence over health policy in America, and they use it to make money on the backs of patients and taxpayers,” said Ben Wakana, executive director of Patients For Affordable Drugs, an advocacy group. Even still, Wakana supports Azar and believes that he has a good history, “Mr. Azar is well-qualified and has the chance to stand up for patients because he knows exactly how our drug pricing system is broken. If he wants to take meaningful action to lower drug prices, we want to help him.”
Azar currently serves on the board of HMS Holdings, a Texas company that helps health insurance companies cut costs, and runs his own biotech and health insurance consulting company, Seraphim Strategies.
Congressional Reaction
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell: “Alex brings a wealth of private and public sector knowledge that will prepare him well for this crucial role. The Secretary of HHS oversees some of the nation’s most important programs, including Medicare and Medicaid in addition to safeguarding public health at the Centers for Disease Control, advancing cures at The National Institutes of Health, and working through the Food and Drug Administration to get those cures to patients. I look forward to meeting with him soon to discuss his outlook and vision for the department, particularly the opioid epidemic that has hurt so many Kentuckians and so many Americans across the country.”
Speaker of the House Paul Ryan: “Alex Azar is an experienced and highly capable leader who knows what it takes to tackle big challenges in health care. The Senate should swiftly confirm him as our next @HHSGov secretary.”
Advocacy Groups in Support
There are many advocacy groups and commentators who support Azar’s appointment. A few are sampled below.
American Hospital Association President and CEO Rick Pollack: “We welcome the nomination of Alex Azar to be Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). We are confident that his extensive background in business, health care and medicine distinguishes him as a uniquely qualified candidate for the vacancy. The expertise garnered from his career in the private sector and prior public service at HHS as Deputy Secretary will prove to be particularly valuable in addressing the serious challenges facing our nation’s health care system today. We look forward to working side-by-side with him to achieve our mission of advancing the health of the patients and communities we are privileged to serve.”
Politico Healthcare Editor Adriel Bettelheim: “Azar built a reputation as a pragmatist during stints as HHS deputy secretary and general counsel in the George W. Bush administration.”
Doctor Roger Klein: “I applaud President Trump’s nomination of Alex Azar to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. As a former Deputy HHS Secretary and attorney with extensive private sector business experience, he brings the necessary skills and expertise to confront the disruption and dislocation the Affordable Care Act has caused. Alex Azar’s appointment will add stability to HHS, and help improve healthcare for millions of Americans.”
What Does the Future Hold
Republicans predicted that, if confirmed, Azar would pursue Trump’s goals to tilt health-care policies in a more conservative direction through executive action. Leading Democratic health policy experts, while not sharing Azar’s views, said he is well qualified for the post.
In today’s world, predictability is sparse, but based on past comments and statements, it is possible that Azar will attempt to move authority to the states over Medicaid, turning over the program to the states to make them “better stewards of the money.” He has previously alluded to a path forward by having HHS use its regulatory powers to allow states to customize the rules around Medicaid. Seema Verma, the CMS Administrator, also favors giving states waivers to create their own Medicaid Systems.
However, where Azar stands on the issue that has just about everyone all riled up – drug prices – is much less clear. While drug prices were a hot topic during the 2016 presidential campaign, President Trump has not made it a priority this year. Interestingly, he did mention drug prices when announcing Azar’s nomination on Twitter.
The White House believes that Azar’s combination of public and private sector experience will serve him well at a time when the administration is seeking big changes to Obamacare and regulatory agencies like the FDA.