100 Most Influential People in Healthcare - 2021

The CMS Innovation Center was influential in 2021 because it laid the foundation for a simplified value-based payment system that aims to accelerate the adoption of new payment models, boost outcomes and improve health equity.

In addition to leading the Innovation Center, Fowler is also deputy administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Previously, she served as executive vice president for programs at the Commonwealth Fund and as vice president for global health policy at Johnson & Johnson, where she focused on delivery system and payment reform. She was a special assistant to President Barack Obama on healthcare and economic policy at the National Economic Council and assisted in implementation of the Affordable Care Act.

Fowler speaks: “True innovation means failing until we get things right, and it’s just as important to learn from what doesn’t work and be transparent about those findings, so we can continue to refine, evolve and grow.”