Jennifer Corbett Dooren: 5 Things Facing Sylvia Mathews Burwell at HHS

1. Politics: Ms. Burwell would become the next political face of the still unpopular health-law and is certain to be confronted by continued criticism of the law from Republicans.
2. Healthcare.gov: Much of the mop-up from open enrollment that ended on March 31 will be complete before Burwell takes over, there’s ongoing work on the website that serves Americas living in 36 states.
3. Mandates: The administration delayed implementation of many parts of the law including the employer mandate. Additional guidelines that address employers need to be issued from HHS and Treasury.
4. Medicare: HHS oversees Medicare, the health insurance program for older Americans.
5. Government Bureaucracy:The HHS Secretary oversees a giant department that is the parent of mostly independent agencies like the CDC that are headquartered far from Washington, D.C.

Source: The Wall Street Journal
Source URL: http://blogs.wsj.com/five-things/2014/04/11/5-things-facing-...

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