Wade Zarriello is being honored in Category 4: Using Innovative Technologies to Deliver Simple, Seamless, and Secure Services for modernizing the critical infrastructure that supports Medicare services for more than 65 million beneficiaries. As Acting Director of the Infrastructure and User Services Group in CMS’s Office of Information Technology, Wade oversees the hybrid cloud, data center, and mainframe environments responsible for beneficiary eligibility, provider enrollment, and approximately $1 billion in Medicare claims processing each night.

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In 2025, Wade launched Project Fusion, CMS’s enterprise multi-cloud strategy, reducing reliance on individual cloud providers and establishing a “best fit, best cost” approach to improve resilience and efficiency. He also led the transition away from aging, costly mainframe software supporting Medicare operations. The migration was carefully executed without interrupting the nightly processing cycles that providers and beneficiaries depend on.

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Wade’s modernization efforts strengthened the reliability of Medicare’s technology infrastructure while delivering substantial taxpayer savings. Replacing high-cost mainframe software reduced annual costs from approximately $28 million to $5 million, generating an estimated $60 million in savings over five years. By combining multi-cloud technology, infrastructure optimization, and disciplined execution, Wade has created a more resilient and cost-effective foundation for Medicare while ensuring critical services remain available without interruption.