Suzan DelBene
U.S. Representative from Washington
Suzan Kay DelBene, nee Oliver, was born in February 1962 in Selma, Alabama. The family moved to Washington when she was young. She earned an undergraduate degree in biology from Reed College and an M.B.A. from the University of Washington.
DelBene worked for nine years for Microsoft in business development and marketing for the Media Group. She helped found drugstore.com, serving as vice president, before becoming CEO of Nimble Technology. DelBene later returned to Microsoft as a corporate vice president of the Mobile Communications Business. She spent two years as a management consultant and strategic adviser to a nonprofit group.
DelBene was a director for the Washington State Department of Revenue. She was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and assumed office in November 2012.
DelBene is married to Kurt, and they have two children. She is Episcopalian.
In the News…
In the News…
Representatives Suzan DelBene of Washington and Ami Bera of California are heading a group of federal legislators who are questioning the Department of Health and Human Services’ proposal to add prior authorization to traditional Medicare. The proposal would reward participants for a reduction in outpatient procedures that are not medically necessary.
Seventeen members of the House wrote to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Mehmet Oz requesting more information regarding the model they say would increase red tape. The legislators wrote, “The Trump Administration publicly recognized the harm of prior authorization… And yet, not a week after these statements, CMS put forward a new proposal to increase the utilization of prior authorization in a type of health coverage… replacing doctor’s medical knowledge with an algorithm designed to maximize care denial in order to increase profits.”
The model would partner CMS with private companies, some of which provide Medicare Advantage plans that currently use prior authorization requests.
Contact this Leader…
Contact this Leader…
Did you pray for Representative DelBene today? You can let her know at:
The Honorable Suzan DelBene
Representative for Washington
2311 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
