Leslie Norwalk has been named the acting chief of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, federal officials announced Sept. 25. Norwalk, 40, a lawyer who has served in both Bush administrations, is now the deputy administrator at the agency and has served on Medicare's senior leadership team for the past five years.
She will succeed Mark McClellan, who announced earlier this month that he is stepping down, effective Oct. 15. One of Norwalk's first tasks will be overseeing the next enrollment period for the prescription drug benefit, which begins Nov. 15.