Greenleaf: Most Republicans View Kennedy as Qualified to Lead HHS

After the hearings in which Senators from the Finance Committee quizzed Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the HHS secretary nominee, but before this week’s committee vote, Lindsay Bealor Greenleaf, head of Federal and State Policy at ADVI Health, spoked with Managed Healthcare Executive about what Kennedy’s confirmation could mean for HHS, Medicare and Medicaid, and the Inflation Reduction Act.

Greenleaf said the despite Kennedy’s gaps in knowledge about Medicare and Medicaid and his controversial views about vaccine, he still has a good chance of being confirmed by the full Senate.

“Most Republicans would view [Kennedy] as being qualified, and his background and an attorney as fighting these issues that are so focused on healthcare, the way he has shaped this Make America healthy again movement. This is who President Trump wants to put in place for this position, so seems like his chances are pretty good of getting confirmed,” she said. “It would take a lot [for Republican senators] to want to go against the president.”

Regarding Medicare and Medicaid, Greenleaf suggested that Kennedy, if confirmed, would likely rely on people overseeing these programs, at least initially.