Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

What does Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services mean?

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is a federal agency within the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). CMS is responsible for administering the Medicare and Medicaid programs, which provide health insurance coverage to seniors, disabled individuals, low-income families, and certain other groups. CMS also oversees the Children’s Health Insurance Program (Chip), which provides health insurance coverage to uninsured low-income children.

Medicare is a federal health insurance program for people aged 65 and older, as well as for certain younger people with disabilities and those with End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). Medicaid is a State and federal health insurance program for low-income individuals and families. CHIP is a state and federal health insurance program for uninsured low-income children.

CMS is headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, and has regional offices throughout the United States. CMS employs approximately 5,000 people.

Applications

CMS plays a vital role in providing health insurance coverage to millions of Americans. Medicare and Medicaid are the largest health insurance programs in the United States, and CHIP provides health insurance coverage to millions of low-income children. CMS also oversees the regulation of health care providers, such as hospitals and nursing homes, and the administration of prescription drug benefits.

CMS is also responsible for developing and implementing policies to improve the quality of health care and reduce costs. CMS has been a leader in the development of value-based payment models, which reward health care providers for providing high-quality care at a lower cost. CMS is also working to improve the coordination of care between different health care providers, such as hospitals, physicians, and nursing homes.

History

CMS was created in 2001 by the enactment of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act (MMA). The MMA merged the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) into a single agency. HCFA was responsible for administering the Medicare and Medicaid programs, while CMS was responsible for overseeing the regulation of health care providers and the administration of prescription drug benefits.

Since its creation, CMS has played a vital role in providing health insurance coverage to millions of Americans. CMS has also been a leader in the development of value-based payment models and the improvement of the coordination of care between different health care providers.