Mark McClellan MD Resigns as CMS Administrator

The resignation of CMS Administrator Mark McClellan -- who announced on Tuesday that he will leave the agency in about five weeks -- "creates a critical vacancy as the Bush administration enters its final two years, a time when skilled political appointees typically think of leaving the government rather than joining it," according to reports. McClellan, a medical doctor and economist, said he wants to spend more time with his family and probably will join a think tank or take a position in academia. A replacement for McClellan has not been named, but potential nominees include CMS Deputy Administrator Leslie Norwalk; Herb Kuhn, director of the Center for Medicare Management at CMS; and Julie Goon, a special assistant to President Bush and former director of Medicare outreach at HHS. McClellan's successor "will face an unwieldy, highly political job" that includes oversight of Medicaid and Medicare -- which together provide health benefits for about 90 million U.S. residents -- and management of a $600 billion federal budget.