Earlier this month, Charlene M. Frizzera, Acting Administrator and Chief Operating Officer at the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, announced a proposed a “modest realignment” to allow the Agency to focus on three areas: beneficiary services, program integrity, and strategic planning.
The proposed structure will establish:
- The position of the Principal Deputy Administrator,
- The Office of External Affairs and Beneficiary Services, and
- Four Centers led by Deputy Administrators (Center for Medicare; Center for Medicaid, CHIP and Survey & Certification; Center for Program Integrity; and Center for Strategic Planning).
According to a February 12 memo, the realigned areas were described as follows:
- The Center for Medicare combines Medicare fee-for-service, managed care, and the prescription drug benefit.
- The Center for Medicaid and State Operations (CMSO) is renamed the Center for Medicaid, CHIP and Survey & Certification. The Center will report directly to the Administrator and be led by the Deputy Administrator, Cindy Mann, and two Deputy Center Directors.
- The Center for Program Integrity realigns the (Medicare) Program Integrity Group of the Office of Financial Management (OFM) and the Medicaid Integrity Group of the Center for Medicaid and State Operations (CMSO). The Center for Program Integrity will report directly to the Administrator and be led by the Deputy Administrator and the Deputy Center Director. The two groups will move intact under this Center and be renamed the Medicare Program Integrity Group and the Medicaid Program Integrity Group, respectively.
- The Center for Strategic Planning realigns the Office of Research, Development, and Information (ORDI) and the Office of Policy (OP). This Center will report directly to the Administrator and be led by the Deputy Administrator.
- The Office of External Affairs & Beneficiary Services realigns the Office of Beneficiary Information Services (OBIS) with the Office of External Affairs (OEA), thereby allowing CMS to integrate and better leverage its communication, call center and web resources; ombudsman services; and extensive network of partners to enhance service to beneficiaries. This Office will report directly to the Administrator and be led by the Office Director, Teresa Niño, and two Deputy Office Directors.
While the Agency still awaits the nomination and confirmation of a new Administrator, Frizzera stated that the realignment should be approved within 60 days and “will help CMS … to improve service and quality for the millions of people who depend on our services.”
