Mr. Carlos Cuevas, Mailman School of Public Health, MPH ’12, MPA’12, was selected by City & State Magazine as one of this year’s 40 under 40 most talented people who work in New York State government, politics, and advocacy.  Mr. Cuevas is currently the senior policy adviser to the New York State Medicaid director. In this position, he oversees the negotiations of new and renewed waiver programs within New York’s Medicaid programs with the State’s federal partner, the Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services. Mr. Cuevas has also gained acknowledgement for leading the creation of the performance-driven financial valuation model within the State’s $7 billion Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment Program.  New York’s Medicaid program is one of the largest in the country serving close to six million New Yorkers and has an annual budget nearing $60 billion.

[Photo: Mr. Carlos Cuevas]

Mr. Cuevas joined the New York State health policy team through the Empire State Fellows Program, a full-time leadership-training program that aims to prepare the next generation of talented professionals for careers as New York State policy-makers. As an Empire State Fellow, he reported to the Deputy Secretary for Health, who oversees all New York State health agencies and serves as Governor Cuomo’s top health policy adviser.

At the Mailman School, Mr. Cuevas studied in the department of health policy and management. He received a dual degree in 2012 from Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Columbia College in 2005. Mr. Cuevas currently serves on the Mailman School of Public Health Alumni Board.

Each year, City & State, honors a 40 under 40 class of gifted individuals in New York government. A dinner was held in their honor on June 3 in Albany that included New York State Senators and Assembly Members, senior executives from Fortune 500 companies, and representatives from media organizations.