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Jason Mehta, Government Enforcement and Review of Managed Medicare Programs: A Glimpse of Historical Practice and Forthcoming Trends, Public Policy & Aging Report, Volume 31, Issue 2, 2021, Pages 53–56, https://doi.org/10.1093/ppar/prab005
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When President Biden announced in December 2020 that he intended to nominate California Attorney General Xavier Becerra to head the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the appointment raised eyebrows in certain policy circles. Becerra does not fit the typical administrative profile of past HHS heads. In fact, he has no actual experience in health care or public health policy. Rather, his background is primarily rooted in law enforcement. He is best known for being an aggressive litigator who, as Attorney General of California, sought to crack down on public fraud and expand the scope of California’s False Claims Act (FCA).
The Biden administration has suggested that Becerra will be expected to bring this prosecutorial outlook to HHS, and work closely with the Department of Justice to “boost health fraud enforcement efforts” (Wheeler, 2020). Whatever the administrative impact of Becerra’s nomination may be, it serves as a clear signal that the continued crackdown on health-care fraud remains one of the few policy areas still enjoying bipartisan support in Washington.