Two months after Mississippi’s Medicaid chief stepped down, it seems as if he may have a new home in Washington, D.C.
Drew Snyder served as executive director of the Mississippi Division of Medicaid from January 2018 until this past October when he announced his resignation. At the time, Gov. Tate Reeves touted him as one of the best to ever be atop the agency.
“Drew Snyder is a talented and dedicated public servant who has driven positive, lasting change in our state’s Medicaid program,” Reeves said. “I appreciate his acumen and his exemplary leadership and wish him continued success in the next chapter of his career.”
Well, that next chapter may have begun to open as Politico health reporter David Lim reported on Tuesday evening that Snyder is expected to run the Medicaid division at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services under the incoming Trump administration.
SCOOP: Drew Snyder, a former longtime Mississippi Medicaid director, is expected to run CMS’ Medicaid division + John Brooks is in line to be CMS’ chief operating officer.
Much more on the Trump team plan to staff Robert F. Kennedy Jr. w/ @adamcancryn:https://t.co/uMCdAOMRQp
— David Lim (@davidalim) January 14, 2025
If officially tabbed, Snyder would be working under TV personality and celebrity physician Dr. Mehmet Oz, assuming Dr. Oz is confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Shortly after winning the November presidential election, Donald Trump named Oz as his appointee to head CMS – an agency that oversees health insurance coverage for more than 150 million Americans.
During his time on the state level, Snyder spearheaded numerous reforms to enable the Division of Medicaid to better prioritize resources and cut costs as the agency still operates below its 2016 state-supported funding level. He is also credited with moving the agency to more quality-based provider reimbursements, implementing additional oversight of vendors, and adopting new policies to make it easier for members to access services.
