100 Most Influential People in Healthcare - 2020

Rumors had Azar either being fired or leaving the Trump administration throughout 2020. But he managed to keep his post as head of a department that is ground zero for the government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. While the pandemic continued to be the top story, Azar also championed key Trump administration policies on price transparency and deregulation, among other things. In late November, the department finalized rules overhauling Stark Law and anti-kickback statutes, aiming to make it easier for providers to enter into value-based arrangements. “Providers could effectively begin changing their conduct immediately,” he told Modern Healthcare.