Health care financing deputy secretary Moran to leave for Washington state job

Maryland Deputy Health Secretary Ryan Moran, the official tasked with overseeing Medicaid and health care financing, will leave Maryland for a new position in Washington state come August.

Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson (D) announced Wednesday that he had selected Moran to direct the state’s Health Care Authority, which administers Medicaid for the state, manages health benefits for state employees and coordinates behavioral health supports.

“Ryan’s passion and experience make him a great choice to lead the Health Care Authority,” Ferguson said in a prepared statement Wednesday. “His expertise will help us provide equitable, high-quality health care to the people of Washington.”

Moran currently serves as deputy secretary for Health Care Financing and Medicaid director, and will continue to serve in those positions until August. It’s not clear if the department has anyone lined up to fill Moran’s position when he leaves.

“I am honored to join Governor Ferguson to lead the Washington State Health Care Authority to support strengthening the health and wellbeing of nearly a third of Washingtonians through the delivery of health care coverage via Medicaid, public and school employee benefits, and behavioral health and recovery,” Moran said in a written statement.

“I look forward to advancing the work and mission of the agency in such a critical time for health care nationally and am committed to ensuring those we serve receive access to integrated, person-centered care,” his statement said.

Kalyanaraman becomes latest to leave Maryland Department of Health

News of Moran’s departure comes on the heels of other changes at the health department in recent weeks. Nilesh Kalyanaraman, the former deputy secretary of public health services, left the department earlier this month. The health department has also lost a former chief of staff and a communications spokesperson.

In February, Moran stepped in as acting-secretary when the former health secretary, Laura Herrera Scott, left amid several controversies at the department. Current Secretary Meena Seshamani took over as head of the department in April.

“His (Moran’s) leadership has cultivated operational excellence in the daily operations to serve Marylanders enrolled in Medicaid, along with making innovative advancements and investments in social determinants of health and behavioral health services,” Seshamani said in a written statement.

“I want to thank Ryan for his commitment to strengthening Maryland’s Medicaid program since he joined MDH in April 2023 and also for his service as Acting Secretary of Health earlier this year,” her statement said.

It’s a busy time for the state’s Medicaid director, especially as the Trump administration works to make significant changes in funding to the joint state-federal health care plan. State officials are watching Congress to see how severe federal cuts to Medicaid will be for Maryland, as federal lawmakers deliberate budget reconciliation legislation that calls for steep cuts in federal spending.

The health department is also transitioning into a new hospital system, known as the AHEAD model, at the start of nezt year. While the transition began under President Joe Biden (D), the Trump administration has signaled interest in reevaluating Maryland’s current authority to set hospital rates in the state as negotiations continue.

Moran led the health department through the “Medicaid unwinding” following the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency. During the pandemic, annual Medicaid eligibility determinations were suspended, leading to a surge in enrollment. When annual redeterminations resumed in 2023, the health department had to reevaluate the eligibility of all 1.8 million Medicaid recipients in the state, a hefty undertaking that eventually cut enrollment to about 1.6 million people.

In November, Moran worked with members of the developmental disability community to help iron out administrative issues that were leading some recipients of Medicaid disability waivers to “erroneously” lose coverage for their care.

Laura Howell, CEO of the Maryland Association of Community Services, said Moran had been helpful during those administrative challenges with Medicaid. She wishes him Moran success in his new position.

“He’s been a very responsive, collaborative leader,” Howell said. “We’re really sorry to see Ryan leave his position at MDH … We wish him the best.”