Why Should Delaware Care?
Delaware’s Department of Health and Social Services is responsible for managing the state’s Medicaid and Medicare benefits, coordinates responses to the opioid crisis and oversees public health. The department received $1.7 billion from the Delaware general fund in its most recent budget approval, making it one of the most well-funded agencies in the state.
Delaware is set to see new leadership of its state health department, at a time when federal uncertainty and medical subsidy rollbacks will likely upheave access and benefits for thousands of Delawareans.
Cristen Linke Young, a former Biden and Obama Administration official, was nominated to serve as Delaware’s Secretary of the Department of Health and Social Services on Tuesday.
Young previously worked in North Carolina as a deputy secretary for the state’s health department, and more recently worked as a fellow at the Brookings Institution, a public policy think tank based out of Washington, D.C.
“At a time of great challenges and opportunities, I look forward to working with the Governor, the General Assembly, and the team at DHSS to deliver high-quality health and social services to every Delawarean,” Young said in a statement.
Young would enter the role Oct. 1 once the current secretary, Josette Manning, officially begins her new position in U.S. Sen. Chris Coons’ office. She would also need to be confirmed by the Delaware State Senate.
No date has been set for Young’s confirmation hearing. The Senate just met Monday in an extraordinary session to confirm more than a dozen nominees, which raises questions as to why leaders didn’t coincide such a prominent role with such a hearing.
Spotlight Delaware requested an interview with Young, but Gov. Matt Meyer’s office declined until after her confirmation hearing.
According to a press release announcing her nomination, Young served as an adviser and director during the Biden administration, where she led “efforts to achieve the lowest uninsured rate in U.S. history.”
She also served in the Obama administration, holding senior roles in the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Young would be responsible for managing the state health department’s multiple divisions which encompass programs such as Medicaid and Medicare, health care quality, substance abuse, and public health, among others.
She would also enter the role at a time when Delaware is wading into federal fights over access to Affordable Care Act insurance plans and COVID vaccines. Her tenure would also begin as the state grapples with how to regulate the state’s hospitals and rising health care costs and spending.
The Department of Health and Social Services received $1.7 billion from state lawmakers this year, making it one of Delaware’s most well-funded agencies. Nearly 60% of that money – around $1 billion – was earmarked for Medicaid spending.
According to her Brookings Institution profile, Young has co-authored multiple articles on the Affordable Care Act, as well as drug pricing and supply.
In one of her articles, she wrote about drug pricing and how the United States often pays far more than other nations for pharmaceuticals. She has also written about potential increases to Affordable Care Act plans and what that could mean for low-income enrollees.
Richard Frank, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, said he has known Young since they worked together during the Obama administration.
He called her a “terrific colleague,” adding that she has experience running large operations and an understanding of health policy.
“This is what she was made to do,” Frank told Spotlight Delaware.
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