Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2004. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
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New York Times (12.14.04) - Tuesday, December 14, 2004
Robert Pear
As secretary, Leavitt would be responsible for Medicare and Medicaid, plus the National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration and CDC. The budget of HHS in the last year was $543 billion, and it has more than 60,000 employees.
In making his announcement, the president described Leavitt as "a fine executive." Leavitt said he looks forward "to the implementation of the Medicare prescription drug program in 2006, medical liability reform and finding ways to reduce the cost of health care."
Leavitt would confront an array of divisive social issues, such as abortion, stem-cell research, family planning, and government's role in promoting healthy marriage and abstinence until marriage. To the extent they are known, Leavitt's views on these issues generally resemble those of the president.
As Utah's governor, Leavitt was seen as an innovator who helped shape national Medicaid policy. Thousands of families gained coverage as a result of his Medicaid policies, Leavitt said Monday. Critics, however, charged that his program cut benefits or increased premiums for many people already on Medicaid.
As HHS secretary, Leavitt would face many challenges, including the potential for a terror attack on the nation's food supply, charges that FDA does not adequately monitor drug safety, and the swelling ranks of the uninsured. The number of uninsured Americans, which stood at 39.8 million in 2000, rose to almost 45 million last year.
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