HHS Nominee Becerra Is Known for ACA Support, M&A Scrutiny
Health care insiders praised President-elect Joe Biden’s decision to nominate California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, a Democrat, to be the next HHS secretary. Though he is not a specialist in health care, experts say Becerra brings relevant expertise to HHS, and they suggest his aggressive enforcement of market competition rules against one of California’s largest hospital systems could indicate the new administration will try to block provider consolidation.
Becerra does not have a public health or medical background, but he has frequently worked on health care matters over the course of his career. As a member of the House of Representatives from 1993 to 2017, during which time he rose to the position of chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, Becerra was a co-sponsor of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and played a substantive role in getting it through the lower chamber.
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