Backed by UnitedHealth, HHS nominee would now help oversee it
Source: Politico
Trump’s choice for assistant health secretary for policy has a long association with the insurance industry.
By DAN DIAMOND 10/30/2017 05:01 AM EDT
Five months after President Donald Trump nominated Stephen Parente to be an assistant secretary for Health and Human Services, the nation's largest health insurer quietly gave a $1.2 million gift to a tiny academic research center that Parente helped found and served as director over the past decade.
Parente, who is still awaiting confirmation as HHS’ assistant secretary of planning and evaluation, for which he was nominated in April, would head an office that often assesses policies that affect the insurance industry. It is currently researching the impact of Obamacare on the insurance market.
The gift — which comes after a long association between Parente and UnitedHealth Group, along with other major health-insurance carriers — raised concerns among watchdogs.
“The timing doesn’t look good,” said Scott Amey of the Project on Government Oversight. “I think Mr. Parente should take some steps to assure the public that he’s working in the public interest, and not on behalf of United Healthcare or other donors" to his center.
Read more: https://www.politico.com/story/2017/10/30/health-human-services-united-244219
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