Episode Summary

Tommy Thompson, who ran HHS in the George W. Bush administration, sat down with POLITICO's Dan Diamond to discuss his tenure, his advice to his protege (and current HHS secretary) Alex Azar, his post-government work in the private sector and his views on the Trump-era political environment.

Episode Notes

As Wisconsin governor, Tommy Thompson instituted welfare reform that became a national model. As HHS secretary, he created Medicare's Part D program. And as a boss, he played a pivotal role in the career of Alex Azar — who recently took over as the latest HHS secretary.

Thompson sat down with POLITICO's Dan Diamond to discuss lessons from his four years running HHS under the George W. Bush administration (starts at the 1:45 mark), how he views the current HHS and what he's told Secretary Alex Azar (12:45), why he supports FDA reform and Medicaid work requirements (15:20), his post-government career in the private sector (18:10) and how he sees the current political environment (20:45).

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About the Show

Weekly conversations with some of the most interesting and influential people in health care, hosted by POLITICO Pulse author Dan Diamond.