HCFA No More

Originally Published MX September/October 2001

Does HCFA's name change signal that more meaningful reimbursement reforms are on the way?

Stacey L. Bell

"We are not just changing the name. We are changing the way we do business," U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson said in June when announcing that the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) would now be known as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). "We are announcing the first of what will be a series of reforms at the agency that runs Medicare and Medicaid to make it more responsive to the patients and providers it serves. We're going to encourage innovation, better educate consumers about their options, and be responsive to the healthcare needs of Americans."

The following items are among the first reforms the agency has proposed.