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Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is a U.S. government agency that administers Medicare and Medicaid programs, which are types of insurance provided by the government. More specifically, Medicare is the nation’s largest healthcare program, which is provided to people age 65 and over, those who have permanent kidney failure, and to certain younger people with disabilities. There are nearly 40 million people on Medicare and nearly 33 million are eligible for Medicaid. Medicaid is insurance provided to low-income families with children, aged, blind, or deaf people on Supplemental Security income, certain low-income pregnant women and children, and certain people who have very high medical bills. Both Medicare and Medicaid were enacted in 1965.
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In addition to Medicare and Medicaid, CMS also helps to expand health coverage to 5 million uninsured children through the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). CMS also works with states to help them comply with certain parts of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). HIPAA is designed to protect health insurance coverage for workers and families when they change or lose their jobs. CMS helps implement this aspect of HIPAA and also helps in establishing national standards for electronic health care transactions and helping insure that personal health data is secure and private.
Lastly, CMS is also responsible for quality improvement in health care, such as performing surveys and certification of health care facilities across the country. The surveys help to determine if the health care facilities are meeting the quality control standards set by CMS. CMS also investigates complaints from the public about healthcare facilities. CMS regulates all laboratory activities at health care centers in the U.S. CMS helps to insure that medical care paid for under the Medicare program is reasonably and medically necessary. CMS also works to improve quality of health care by measuring and improving quality of care, making sure services are available, educating health care providers about quality improvement opportunities, and educating the public to make good health care choices and to understand their medical benefits.CMS was formerly known as the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA). CMS national headquarters is located in Baltimore, Marlyland.
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