What Is the༺ Centers for Medicare &💦amp; Medicaid Services (CMS)?

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is the agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that administers the nation’s major healthcare programs. The CMS oversees programs, including Medicare, Medi🔯caid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and the state and federal health insurance marketplaces. CMS collects and analyzes data, produces research reports, and works to eliminate inst🌼ances of fraud and abuse within the healthcare system.

How the Centers fo♒r Medicare & M♋edicaid Services (CMS) Works

On July 30, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law a bill that established the Medicare and Medicaid programs. In 1977, the federal government established the Health Care Finance Administration (HCFA) as part of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW). The HCFA was later named the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in July 2001. CMS now manages many important national h✅ealthcare pr⭕ograms that affect the lives of millions of Americans.

The agency says it is "dedicated to advancing health equity, expanding coverage, and improving health outcomes." CMS is headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, and has 10 regional offices throughout the United States in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Kansas City, Mo., New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Seattle. There are even offices outside the U.S., in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The CMS manages the Administrative Simplification Standards of the Health Insuranc✱e ꦐPortability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). The use of Administrative Simplification Standards strives to implement the adoption of national electronic healthcare records, guarantee patient privacy and security, and enforce HIPAA rules. CMS oversees quality in clinical laboratories and long-term care facil🙈ities and provides oversight of the health insurance exchanges.

Special Considerations

Because 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:healthcare costs continue to rise, Medicare premiums usually increase each year. CMS projects that healthcare spending is estimated to grow by 5.6% annually through 2032. This means healthcare will cost an estimated $7.7 trillion by 2032.

Since Part B premiums are deducted from the Social Security benefits of Medicare recipients, it’s important that people remain informed and understand how these premiums work. This is why CMS 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:releases information annually about premiums and deductibles.

Types of CMS Programs

Through its Center for Consumer Information & Insurance Oversight, CMS plays a role in the federal and state health insurance marketplaces by helping to implement Affordable Care Act (ACA) laws and provisions related to private health insurance and providing educational materials to the public.

Medicare

Medicare is a taxpayer-funded program for people ages 65 and older. Eligibility requires the individual to have worked and paid into the system through payroll taxes. Medicare also provides health coverage for people with recognized disabilities and specific end-stage diseases as confirmed by the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:So🀅cial Security Administration (SSA).

Medicare consists of four parts: A, B, C, and D. Part A covers inpatient hospital, skilled nursing, hospice, and home services. Medical coverage is provided under Part B and includes physician, laboratory, outpatient, preventive care, and other services. Medicare Part C, or Medicare Advantage, is a combination of parts A and B. Part D, signed in 2003 by President George W. Bush, provides coverage for drugs and prescription medications.

Medicare enrollees share costs with taxpayers through premiums and out-of-pocket expenditures, as noted above.

Medicaid

Medicaid is a government-sponsored program that provides assistance for healthcare coverage to people with low incomes. The joint program, funded by the federal government and administered at the state level, varies. Patients receive assistance paying for things like doctor visits, long-term medical and custodial care costs, hospital stays, and more.

Applicants who want to be considered for Medicaid can apply online through the Health Insurance Marketplace or directly through their state’s Medicaid agency.

CHIP

The Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) is offered to parents of children under age 19 who make too much to qualify for Medicaid but can’t afford regular health insurance. The income limits vary, as each state runs a variation of the program with different names and different eligibility requirements.

Many of the services provided by CHIP are free, including doctor visits and checkups, vaccinations, hospital care, dental and vision care, lab services, X-rays, prescriptions, and emergency services. However, some states may require a monthly premium, while others require a co-pay.

The CARES Act of 2020

On March 27, 2020, President Donald Trump signed a $2 trillion coronavirus emဣergency stimulus package, called the CARES (Coronavir♍us Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act, into law. It expanded Medicare’s ability to co𓂃ver treatment and services for those affected by COVID-19. The CARES Act also:

• Increased flexibility for Medicare to cover telehealth services
• Authorized Medicare certification for home health services by physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and certified nurse specialists
• Increased Medicare payments for COVID-19-related hospital stays and durable medical equipment

For Medicaid, the CARES Act clarifies that non-expansion states can use the Medicaid program to cover COVID-19-related services for uninsured adults who would have qualified for Medicaid if the state had chosen to expand. Other populations with limited Medicaid coverage are also eligible for coverage under this state option.

The Bottom Line

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is a federal agency thaꦿt administers the nation’s major healthcare programs, including Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). It collects and analyzes data, produces research reports, and works to eliminate instances of fraud and abuse within the healthcare system.