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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), previously known as the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA), is a federal agency within the United States Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) that administers the Medicare program and works in partnership with state governments to administer Medicaid, the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), and health insurance portability standards. In addition to these programs, CMS has other responsibilities, including the administrative simplification standards from the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), quality standards in long-term care facilities (more commonly referred to as nursing homes) through its survey and certification process, and clinical laboratory quality standards under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments.
History
President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Social Security Act on July 30, 1965, establishing both Medicare and Medicaid. The Social Security Administration (SSA) became responsible for the administration of Medicare and the Social and Rehabilitation Service (SRS) became responsible for the administration of Medicaid. Both agencies were organized under what was then known as the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW).
In 1977, the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) was established under HEW. HCFA became responsible for the coordination of Medicare and Medicaid. The responsibility for enrolling beneficiaries into Medicare and processing premium payments remained with SSA.
Workforce
The CMS employs approximately 4,100 employees, of which 2,700 are located at its headquarters in Woodlawn, Maryland. The remaining employees are located in the Hubert H. Humphrey Building in Washington, D.C., the 10 regional offices listed below, and in various field offices located throughout the United States.
The head of the CMS, carrying the title "Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator", is a presidential appointee requiring Senate approval.[1]
Regional offices
CMS has its headquarters in Woodlawn, Maryland, with 10 regional offices located throughout the United States:
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Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont.
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New Jersey, New York, as well as the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
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Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia.
- Region IV - Atlanta, Georgia
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Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.
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Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin.
- Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.
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Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska.
- Region VIII - Denver, Colorado
- Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming.
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Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, the Territories of American Samoa, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
- Region X - Seattle, Washington
- Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington
References
External links
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