The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services: What is this Organization?

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, is the organization that was previously known the Health Care Financing Administration. This Federal agency administers the Medicaid services and works in conjunction with other State governments and organizations to administer and regulate Medicaid across the nation. The CMS is also mandated to simplify administration standards from the Health Portability and Accountability act of 1996, regulate quality of care standards in long term care facilities (nursing homes) through a quantifiable certification process, and regulate clinical laboratory standards working under the Clinical Laboratory Standards Amendments of the aforementioned bill.

The agency was renamed as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service on 2001, after acting secretary of the mission, Tommy Thompson, called for a new name, to reflect more accurately the needs and challenges of today's Medicare administrative duties. The current acting Director of the agency is Leslie V. Norwalk, esq.  The agency has had some rough periods. During the reign of director Thomas A Scully, the agency was cast under a shadow of impropriety. Scully has been accused of embezzlement, insider trading from his government knowledge, intimidation and wrongful dismissal of employees and illegally keeping data from Congress. He was ordered to reimburse the federal government 7 months salary after leaving the post.

The CMS is a large governmental organization, employing 4100 full time workers. 2700 of these employees are headquartered in Woodlawn Maryland and the remaining staff work out of the Hubert H Humphrey building in Washington DC, at 10 regional field offices and at smaller field offices throughout the United States.  The current CMS vision statement is, "To ensure effective, up-to-date health care coverage and to promote quality care for beneficiaries; and the current mandate is," To achieve a transformed and modernized health care system. CMS will accomplish our mission by continuing to transform and modernize America's health care system."

The CMS Is striving to build a skilled workforce, motivated to enact change for the better within the scope of national health care policy. They are also working hard to make sure that the payment process for Medicare clients is both accurate and predictable.  They are, as always, doing their very best to provide the highest standard of health care to all Medicare and Medicaid clients, and are as well serving as a vital educational institution; teaching clients to be confident and informed participants of the health care process.

The CMS is always seeking out valuable collaborative projects with both the public and private sectors, that will allow it to better serve the Medicare-using public. The CMS looks after your public health needs and those of your fellow citizens.

Filed under: Centers for Medicare Medicaid Services (CMS)