Obamacare Architect Is Top Pick to Lead Value-Based Care Office

Elizabeth Fowler, who led the drafting of the Affordable Care Act and then implemented the major health law, has emerged as the leading contender to run the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, according to people familiar with the matter.

Fowler is likely to head the Department of Health and Human Services’ health innovation center and would be charged with carrying out multi-year efforts to send taxpayer dollars toward paying for patient outcomes rather than individual procedures.

The CMMI has expansive authority to create and test health-care payment systems without congressional approval. As costs continue to rise, industry participants and ...