Kimberly Brandt, JD

The Revolving Door Made Flesh

Deputy Administrator and COO, CMS

Government / Lobbying / Private Equity· Ex officio member, confirmed on the Nov. 9, 2026 agenda

Last verified November 6, 2026

Overview

Six turns through the revolving door. HHS-OIG, then CMS, then health fraud defense at Alston & Bird, then the Senate Finance Committee. Back to CMS in Trump's first term, where she led Stark Law reform. Then the TDY lobbying firm, with Pfizer and Elevance among its clients and $109.4 million in lifetime firm lobbying income. In September 2024 she joined the board of Noridian Healthcare Solutions, a CMS Medicare Administrative Contractor. Four months later she returned to run CMS operations. House Democrats accused her in March 2026 of inaccurate testimony on Medicaid funding deferrals; in June the committee's ranking member said no correction had been provided. She fronts the Medicaid Fraud War Room, which CMS says stopped $203 million in improper payments in its first 88 days. In October 2026 HHS handed CMS the Secretary's exclusion authority. She told a conference she hopes suspensions quadruple within six months. CMS's leadership page also lists her as acting director of the Center for Program Integrity. She sits ex officio on the committee's fraud, waste and abuse working group.

Since March 2026

What has changed

June 25, 2026At a House Energy and Commerce oversight hearing, Ranking Member Yvette Clarke said Brandt's March testimony that CMS had 'been stayed' from scheduling a Minnesota Medicaid hearing was false and that Brandt had not provided a correction when asked. source
July 28, 2026CMS said its Medicaid Fraud War Room, launched April 23, 2026, stopped about $203.3 million in improper Medicaid payments to 50 billers in its first 88 days. Brandt, as Deputy Administrator and COO, is quoted. source
October 14, 2026HHS delegated the Secretary's permissive exclusion authority over Medicare and Medicaid participation to the CMS Administrator, effective immediately. source
October 15, 2026At the ADAPT conference in Santa Fe, Brandt said she hopes suspensions of Medicare and Medicaid billers will quadruple within six months under the new exclusion authority. She cited $342 million stopped and 124 exclusion notices through September, and said CMS will publish results of a Medicaid fraud pilot run with Oracle. source

Career arc

Professional timeline

January 2025–Present

Deputy Administrator and COO (CMS page also lists Acting Center Director, Program Integrity)

CMS

Partner

Tarplin Downs & Young (TDY) lobbying firm

September 2024–January 2025

Board

Noridian Healthcare Solutions: CMS MAC

Advisor

Enhanced Healthcare Partners (PE, 30 portfolio companies)

Principal Deputy Administrator

CMS: Trump 1.0

2011–2017

Chief Counsel to Sen. Orrin Hatch

Senate Finance Committee

Senior Counsel

Alston & Bird LLP (health fraud defense)

Director, Medicare Program Integrity

CMS (7 years)

Special Counsel

HHS-OIG

Red flags

Conflicts and concerns

Noridian conflict: joined the board of a CMS Medicare Administrative Contractor in September 2024 and returned to run CMS operations four months later. No public ethics waiver or recusal disclosed.

Registered lobbyist representing 52 clients in 2023. TDY lifetime firm lobbying income: $109.4M.

PE advisor turned regulator: Enhanced Healthcare Partners' portfolio depends on Medicare/Medicaid reimbursement she now controls.

Accused of misleading Congress (March 2026): testified CMS could not schedule a Minnesota Medicaid hearing due to "ongoing litigation"; two days later she herself requested the stay. On June 25, 2026 Ranking Member Clarke said Brandt had not provided a correction when asked.

A $250 million Medicaid deferral against Minnesota and program-integrity inquiries into California, New York and Maine: Democrats allege the states were politically targeted.

Now holds delegated exclusion authority over Medicare and Medicaid participation (October 2026) while sitting on the committee that advises on program integrity.

Physician-owned hospitals

Led Stark Law reform at CMS during Trump 1.0: creating value-based exceptions to physician self-referral rules that intersect with Section 6001. Represents the regulatory architecture governing physician ownership. No stated interest in expanding physician-owned hospitals.

Sources