Seema Verma is a short step from taking the reins at CMS.
 
On March 2, the Senate Finance Committee cast a 13-12 vote to send Verma ahead to a full Senate confirmation.
 
Verma would report to new HHS Secretary Tom Price and oversee the trillion-dollar budget of CMS at a critical juncture, as momentum gains under current GOP leadership to overhaul many federal insurance programs and policies.
 
Verma is best known as the architect of Indiana’s Medicaid program, which is largely centered around block grants as a thoroughfare for coverage.
 
The confirmation vote came after a delay in the committee the day before, when an inadequate number of senators appeared for a scheduled hearing, leading to a stalled vote.