Seema Verma facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Seema Verma
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| 15th Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services | |
| In office March 14, 2017 – January 20, 2021 |
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Marilyn Tavenner |
| Succeeded by | Chiquita Brooks-LaSure |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 26, 1970 Portsmouth, Virginia, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Education | University of Maryland, College Park (BS) Johns Hopkins University (MPH) |
Seema Verma (born September 26, 1970) is a top leader at Oracle Corporation. She used to be the head of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). This is a big government agency in the United States. CMS helps manage important health programs like Medicare and Medicaid.
During her time at CMS, she worked on changing healthcare laws. She also focused on how Medicaid helps people. She was involved in discussions about how she used public money while in her role.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Where Did Seema Verma Grow Up?
Seema Verma was born in Virginia, USA. Her family moved many times when she was young. They lived in small towns like Joplin, Missouri. They also lived in bigger cities, including the Washington D.C. area. For five years, she lived in Taiwan.
In 1988, she finished high school at Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt, Maryland. Her father, Jugal Verma, mentioned that she grew up in a family that supported the Democratic Party.
What Did Seema Verma Study?
Seema Verma went to the University of Maryland, College Park. In 1993, she earned a bachelor's degree in life sciences.
Later, in 1996, she got a Master of Public Health degree. She studied health policy and how to manage healthcare. She earned this degree from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health.
Seema Verma's Career Journey
Starting Her Career
Before joining the government, Seema Verma worked in healthcare. She was a vice president at the Health & Hospital Corporation of Marion County. She also worked at the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. This organization is in Washington, D.C..
Founding SVC, Inc.
In 2001, Seema Verma started her own company called SVC, Inc. It was a consulting firm that focused on health policy. She was the president and CEO of this company.
Her company helped different states with their healthcare plans. They worked on putting the Affordable Care Act (ACA) into action. SVC, Inc. also helped states like Indiana, Iowa, Ohio, and Kentucky. They designed programs to expand Medicaid under the ACA.
In 2006, Verma's team started suggesting new policies. These policies aimed to give government-funded health insurance to people who were working but had low incomes. She worked with Governor Mitch Daniels of Indiana. They created a new Medicaid plan called the Healthy Indiana Plan. This plan helped more low-income people get health coverage.
Working for the Trump Administration
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In November 2016, Donald Trump announced he would nominate Seema Verma. He wanted her to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). This agency manages Medicare, Medicaid, and health insurance markets.
On March 13, 2017, the United States Senate approved her nomination. She was sworn into office using a special book called the Bhagavad-Gītā As It Is.
One of her first actions was to send a letter to state governors. She suggested changes to Medicaid. These included asking Medicaid users to pay small fees or work to get coverage.
Verma was a strong critic of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). She called it a "failure." During her time at CMS, she worked to change or replace the ACA. She also reduced funding for programs that helped people sign up for health insurance.
In 2018, Verma spoke about "Medicare for all" proposals. She said that a single-payer healthcare system would harm Medicare. Medicare provides health insurance for older people.
Seema Verma was also part of the White House Coronavirus Task Force. This group worked to address the coronavirus pandemic.
Using Public Funds for Public Image
During her time at CMS, there were questions about how Seema Verma used taxpayer money. In 2018, she asked for money back for jewelry she said was stolen. She received a small amount of money for this.
In 2019, reports showed that Verma approved spending over $2 million in public funds. This money went to consultants to help improve her public image. These consultants suggested ways for her to appear in magazines and attend important events.
A government investigation in 2020 found that Verma spent over $5 million in taxpayer money. This was for communications work and to raise her public profile. The report said that CMS did not manage these contracts properly. It also said that the relationships between CMS and the consultants were not correct.
Some members of Congress said that this spending was not right. They believed that taxpayer money should not be used to promote a leader's personal image. They asked for a formal review of these expenses.
Verma spent money on consultants to help her write speeches and tweets. They also helped her meet with companies and important people. She spent money on makeup artists and to try and win awards. These consultants even helped her write an opinion piece for Washington Post.
These consultants had access to important information about CMS plans. One consultant, Marcus Barlow, had worked for Verma's old company. He was paid much more than a regular government employee would earn.
In 2021, Seema Verma said she lost her government cell phone. This meant that records from the phone were gone. She also returned a new phone without its passcode.
Personal Life
Seema Verma and her family live in Carmel, Indiana.
Images for kids
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Seema Verma speaking about the coronavirus pandemic at the White House in April 2020.
