Melissa Harris has been with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) since the summer of 1995, and is currently a Deputy Director for the Medicaid Benefits and Health Programs Group (MBHPG).  Prior to this role, Melissa was a Senior Policy Advisor in MBHPG, developing and implementing a myriad of policies advancing home and community-based services as an alternative to institutional placement.

 

Before joining the Office of the Group Director, she was the Director of the Division of Benefits and Coverage from 2012 to 2015, in which she was responsible for overseeing implementation of most Medicaid benefits, including benefits provided to individuals in the Medicaid expansion population, and the establishment of national benefit policy.