The Department of Health and Human Services took the extraordinary step of bringing in outside counsel earlier this year to investigate allegations of sex discrimination, Axios has learned — a sign of how badly the working relationship had deteriorated between Secretary Alex Azar and Medicare chief Seema Verma.
Why it matters: While the outside lawyer investigating the claims ultimately described them as unsubstantiated, the revelation of the investigation is more evidence that bad blood between the nation’s top two health officials has sidetracked one of the biggest arms of the federal government.
- The investigation also has raised questions about Verma’s management style at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
- Azar and Verma are charged with executing President Trump’s agenda on prescription drug prices, the Affordable Care Act, Medicare and Medicaid. The distractions come ahead of an election year when health care is expected to be a driving issue.
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