| Beane has worked at DHHR for more than 20 years and was appointed Commissioner in 2014. She has extensive experience in mental health program policy development and development of home and community-based programs. Under her leadership, West Virginia was the first state in the nation to obtain approval for coverage of neonatal abstinence centers, and her team both developed and is administering a Continuum of Care waiver designed to treat substance use disorders among the Medicaid population. West Virginia has implemented health homes initiatives to improve quality outcomes for Medicaid members with chronic conditions, including diabetes and bipolar disorder, and expanded managed care to include behavioral health. West Virginia Medicaid was the recipient of the 2022 Medicaid Innovation Award from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the National Academy for State Health Policy for providing specialized managed care for youth in foster care. “I know I speak for our Medicaid directors across the country when I say that we all look forward to Cindy’s leadership on the national stage,” said Kate McEvoy, NAMD Executive Director. “The work ahead of our Medicaid programs is enormous and the outcomes are critical to the health of millions of Americans. Cindy is just the leader to meet that moment.” |
