Amanda Cassel Kraft to Step Down as Assistant Secretary for MassHealth

BOSTON — The Executive Office of Health and Human Services announced that Amanda Cassel Kraft, assistant secretary for MassHealth, will be stepping down on Jan. 2. Deputy Medicaid Director Mike Levine will serve as acting assistant secretary.

Cassel Kraft has been a senior member of the MassHealth team since 2011, including as assistant secretary since 2021. She is departing to pursue an opportunity to live abroad with her family.

“Amanda’s leadership and dedication to public service has been invaluable, as she led the way on our recent 1115 Medicaid waiver approval and advanced patient-focused health-equity and behavioral-health reform across the Medicaid program,” Secretary of Health and Human Services Marylou Sudders said. “I am deeply grateful to Amanda for her leadership and collaboration as she and her family leave the country for an exciting international opportunity. Mike Levine is an invaluable colleague and has served in a leadership capacity. The transition will be seamless given the strong collaboration between Amanda, Mike, and the strong management team at MassHealth.”

MassHealth, the Commonwealth’s combined Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program, offers public healthcare coverage to 2.3 million Massachusetts residents.

“I am grateful to Governor Baker, Lieutenant Governor Polito, and Secretary Sudders for the opportunity to serve the Commonwealth in this this role,” Cassel Kraft said. “It has been an honor working to strengthen healthcare access, outcomes, and equity for our 2 million members. I could not be happier that Mike Levine will be taking on the leadership of MassHealth. He is one of the most capable and mission-driven people I know and will provide strong leadership and continuity.”

Levine joined MassHealth in 2016 and has served as deputy Medicaid director since 2021. He was previously the agency’s chief financial and strategy officer. He has overseen MassHealth’s finance, strategy, data and analytics, and program-integrity functions, in addition to leading key programmatic efforts around member eligibility and children’s health. A graduate of Pomona College, Levine has also worked in federal health policy at the Congressional Budget Office and as a management consultant for nonprofits and foundations.