Photo: Zach Gibson/Getty Images
Dr. Scott Gottlieb, former commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, is joining UnitedHealth Group’s board of directors, effective immediately, the company said on Tuesday.
“I look forward to working with UnitedHealth Group to help shape how medical breakthroughs are developed and made accessible to patients who may benefit from them,” Gottlieb said by statement. “I hope to leverage my experience to support providers in their delivery of care that’s not only more innovative but also more affordable, and that improves outcomes for patients and communities.”
Dr. Gottlieb, 53, served as FDA commissioner from 2017 to 2019 when he resigned. His leaving did not appear connected to come from a request under the first Trump administration.
WHY THIS MATTERS
Gottlieb is known for promoting transparency, strengthening patient safety and widening consumer choice, according to UnitedHealth Group.
Gottlieb’s efforts include more tightly regulating several industries, promoting competition in the pharmaceutical market, making generic drugs more accessible, curbing tobacco use and vaping among youth, and confronting the opioid epidemic.
“Scott has had an exceptional health care career in both the public and private sectors,” said Stephen J. Hemsley, UnitedHealth Group’s CEO and executive board chairman. “He is an innovator who constantly advocates for a more integrated health care approach supported by the latest technology. We welcome his deep expertise and thought leadership as we strive to help people live healthier lives and make the health system work better for everyone.”
Gottlieb is a physician who was previously the FDA's deputy commissioner for Medical and Scientific Affairs. In addition to his FDA service, he has held roles at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and on the Federal Health Information Technology Policy Committee.
THE LARGER TREND
In a Washington Post Live program, Gottlieb discussed COVID-19 booster shot guidance from a CDC advisory panel that differed from FDA recommendations.
In September, the CDC advisory panel voted to abandon its previous universal recommendation for annual COVID-19 vaccine shots for anyone 6 months and older and instead said that the shots should be based on individual choice, according to ABC News.
“I can’t remember a precedent where the CDC’s advisory panel differed this starkly from the FDA’s recommendation,” Gottlieb told the Washington Post.
The FDA wanted to include people 18 years old and above who were at risk from severe COVID-19 because of occupational exposure which would include all the healthcare providers in the nation, Gottlieb said.
“I think that was one of the reasons why FDA came down where they did because they felt that the healthcare providers should be eligible for boosters. Under the CDC’s recommendation … a healthcare provider wouldn’t be eligible for a booster unless they have an underlying medical condition.”
Email the writer: SMorse@himss.org