Stephanie Carlton
The Consultant Running CMS
Deputy Administrator and Chief Clinical AI Officer, CMS
Last verified November 6, 2026
Overview
The ideological architect in the room. Authored the Patients' Choice Act as Republican Senate Finance staff: the conservative ACA alternative proposing tax credits and state-based markets. Spent years as a partner at a global consulting firm building its playbook for health system reform. Was Acting CMS Administrator before Oz was confirmed, then his chief of staff. In May 2026 Oz named Rebekah Armstrong chief of staff; Carlton kept the deputy administrator title and took a new post as chief clinical AI officer. CMS's committee page still calls her chief of staff. CPAC USA 2026 speaker.
Since March 2026
What has changed
- May 23, 2026Bloomberg Government: Administrator Oz named Rebekah Armstrong, head of the CMS office of legislation, chief of staff. Carlton keeps the deputy administrator role; her portfolio includes clinical artificial intelligence. source
- November 11, 2026Listed as a speaker at the Milken Institute Future of Health Summit 2026 with the title Deputy Administrator and Chief Clinical AI Officer, CMS. source
Career arc
Professional timeline
May 2026–Present
Deputy Administrator and Chief Clinical AI Officer
CMS
January 2025–May 2026
Deputy Administrator and Chief of Staff
CMS
Early 2025
Acting CMS Administrator
Partner
Global management consulting firm: health systems practice and its center for U.S. health system reform
2022
Harvard Kennedy School resident fellow
Guest lecturer
Wharton
Republican staff
Senate Finance Committee: authored Patients' Choice Act
Labor and delivery nurse
Board of a major pro-life nonprofit
Red flags
Conflicts and concerns
Big consulting's history in healthcare includes work criticized for optimizing revenue extraction over patient outcomes. Carlton built her former firm's health system reform playbook.
The Patients' Choice Act she authored was the conservative counter-vision to the ACA: every policy recommendation she makes filters through this ideological lens.
Acting Administrator before Oz: she set the initial direction of the agency in the current administration.
CPAC 2026 speaker signals continued political alignment beyond the advisory role.
Physician-owned hospitals
Carlton is the ex officio filter through which all committee recommendations pass at CMS. Her consulting background and conservative policy ideology represent the management consulting and deregulatory frameworks that govern how CMS interprets physician ownership questions. No stated interest in expanding physician-owned hospitals.
Sources