Today, the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced that Brad Smith will serve as Director of the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation at CMS and Senior Advisor to Secretary Azar for Value-Based Transformation.

Smith most recently served as the Chief Operating Officer of Anthem’s Diversified Business Group and was previously co-founder and CEO of Aspire Health, a healthcare company focused on providing home-based palliative care services to patients facing serious illnesses.

“Brad will help HHS and CMS continue and accelerate the value-based transformation work that we have begun under President Trump,” said Secretary Azar. “Delivering better value in healthcare is a key piece of how we’re executing on President Trump’s healthcare vision. Paying for outcomes rather than procedures through CMMI models is an important tool for the value-based transformation of healthcare that President Trump has prioritized. 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 and help us build on the important work the Trump Administration has undertaken to transform our healthcare system to deliver better value to patients.”