Trump names former Lilly exec as new health secretary
As expected, President
If confirmed by the
Azar, 50, a lawyer by training, had spent the last 10 years with Lilly, rising to president of its key
In making the pick, Trump turned to an industry he's often rebuked.
The nomination of Azar is unusual because HHS secretaries have tended to come from the ranks of elected officials such as governors, leaders in academia, or top executive-branch managers-not industries regulated by the department.
"He will be a star for better health care and lower drug prices!" Trump tweeted in announcing the nomination on
As HHS secretary, Azar would have to scrupulously avoid conflicts with Lilly's far-reaching interests, from drug approval to Medicare reimbursement. The drugmaker has drawn criticism from patient advocacy groups for price increases to one of its biggest products: insulin.
Americans consistently rank the high cost of prescription drugs as one of their top health care priorities, putting it ahead in public opinion polls of divisive issues like repealing Obamacare.
Trump has been a sharp critic of the industry. "The drug companies, frankly, are getting away with murder," the president said at a
In the spring, a Trump tweet sent drug stocks tumbling after the president said he was working on a new system that would foster competition and lead to much lower prices. In meetings with industry executives, however, Trump has focused on speeding up drug approvals, a cost-reducing tactic they would back.
Professionally, Azar has another set of skills that might be valuable to the president.
As a top HHS official during the George W. Bush administration, the Yale law graduate developed an insider's familiarity with the complex world of federal health care regulation, serving first as the department's chief lawyer and later as deputy secretary.
Frustrated by fruitless efforts to overturn the Affordable Care Act in
Congressional
Azar admirers say his industry experience should be considered an asset, not a liability.
"To the extent that the Trump administration has talked about lowering drug prices, here's a guy who understands how it works," said
"Would [Azar] have been better off if he had been meditating in an ashram after serving as deputy secretary?" asked Troy.
Azar spent his formative years in
If confirmed, Azar would be Trump's second HHS secretary, replacing former
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