Centers for Medicare & Medicaid News 
Top News
- OMB reworking financial system requirements to focus on outcomes, not inputs
- Hagel: Accountability breakdown a leading factor in sexual assaults
- PHOTOS: Meet the 2013 Service to America Medal Finalists
- Lew taps government retiree pension fund
- SBA starting new lending program for veterans
- More Obama aides knew of IRS audit; Obama not told
- Former IRS commissioner heads to Hill amid scandal
- Next-gen Apple devices cleared to join Defense IT networks
- In fight over intelligence IT system, Army prioritizes access to data
- DoD upends slow approval process for mobile devices
- Bonuses to senior execs under fire at GSA, other agencies
- VA's Gould moves the needle on many of VA's toughest challenges
- Tuesday federal headlines - May 21, 2013
GOP Medicare plan borrows from and repeals Obama's
Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), the top GOP budget writer, borrowed the idea of insurance exchanges, a big pooled marketplace, from the health care law enacted in Massachusetts when GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney was governor. Ryan wants to set one up for Medicare.
IT concerns at large agencies
Tony Trenkle, chief information officer and director of the Office of Information Services at the Centers for Medicar and Medicaid Services talks about the IT challenges at his agency.
March 6, 2012
CMS eyes $370M goal in stemming improper payments
Jon Blum, the deputy administrator and director for the Center of Medicare at CMS, joined In Depth with Francis Rose to discuss the agency's new goal of stopping $370 million in improper payments.
Feds to curb improper payments to Medicare plans
The Obama administration says it's taking steps to fix a longstanding problem of improper payments to private health plans that serve 1 in 4 Medicare beneficiaries.
CMS $77M anti-fraud effort disappoints
Launched last summer, a $77 million computer system to stop Medicare fraud before it happens had prevented just one suspicious payment by Christmas. That saved taxpayers exactly $7,591.
White House blasts new Medicare plan by GOP's Ryan
White House spokesmen Thursday blasted a new bipartisan plan to overhaul Medicare, saying it would undermine the health care program for seniors and disabled people, leaving it to "wither on the vine."
Treasury, HHS, Justice find more areas to cut waste
Cutting back on excess dollar-coins, tackling Medicare prescription drug abuse and prosecuting procurement fraud are just some of the ways the White House says agencies cut back on government waste in 2011.
Can't raise taxes? Hike Medicare premiums instead
Republicans may have found a way to squeeze more money out of well-to-do Americans without raising their taxes.
GAO: Medicare data tools have hit snags
The Government Accountability Office took a look at CMS' data analysis and Valerie Melvin, director of information management and technology resources issues at GAO, joined In Depth with Francis Rose to discuss the watchdog agency's latest report.
Obama's Medicare nominee gets GOP leader's support
President Barack Obama's Medicare nominee Tuesday got unexpected support from one of Congress' Republican stars. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor told The Associated Press that Marilyn Tavenner is "eminently qualified" to run Medicare.
Agencies' health IT success becomes model for nation
The Department of Health and Human Services wants more people to access their own medical records online. The Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services already have successful programs in place. They use a "blue button" feature that lets patients download their data.
'New philosophy' at CMS on improper payments
Medicare programs lead the federal government in improper payments by a large margin, and program administrators have been told to cut their improper payment rate in half by next year. Officials say they are taking several steps to stop payments before they leave the Treasury.
New CMS tools help to save up to $120 billion
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services says it can save $120 billion dollars over the next five years. CMS's Jon Blum tells us about two important tools at their disposal.
Platts calls for more controls over improper payments
The chairman of the subcommittee on federal financial management said legislation may be needed to ensure agency accounting procedures are focusing on stopping improper payments. He said progress across the government is good, but more tools are necessary. OMB is testing the Do Not Pay List and plans to launch the full portal in 2012.
CMS to take on improper payments in new way
The agency plans to follow the model credit card companies use to identify potential problems on the front end instead of trying to chase down the money after the fact. CMS accounts for about 46 percent of all improper payments across the government. Overall, OMB wants to reduce the governmentwide error rate to 4.18 percent by 2013.
HHS, Justice turning up heat on fraudsters
New rule published today details how the government will go from chasing criminals to using data and other tools to stop them as Medicare and Medicaid fraud is happening. The agencies report returning $4 billion back to the government in 2010, a 50 percent increase compared to 2009.
HHS promotes simpler e-health record exchanges
The Office of National Coordinator for Health IT will spend the next year making it easier for health care providers to share patient data. Data sharing and interoperability are one of four major barriers the federal government is helping doctors and hospitals overcome.
New governmentwide financial systems on tap
OMB controller Danny Werfel said the Treasury Department should be finished testing and analyzing systems in the next six months. The CFO Council highlights priorities for 2011, and among them is the further reduction of improper payments. Werfel said agencies will begin using the software tool first utilized by the Recovery Board to identify potential problems.
What CMS is best for you?
Frustrated with content management systems? Host John Gilroy talks with Tony Byrne, founder of Real Story Group.
January 11, 2011
Discussion: Information Sharing vs. Privacy
Finding the right balance between privacy and sharing is the subject of a Federal News Radio Discussion. Joining us are NARA's Hannah Bergman and CMS's William Saunders.
