HCFA becomes CMS

In the most visible sign that big government is seeking a simpler (if not kinder) approach to reimbursement, Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson has come up with a new name for the Health Care Financing Administration. Out with the HCFA moniker; in with CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services). The missing “M” may be an indication that Thompson, who slashed welfare as Wisconsin governor, is not afraid to break some time-honored rules. En route to reinventing HCFA, Thompson will embark on a media blitz to give Medicare beneficiaries information about service, while trying to speed the agency’s responsiveness to healthcare providers and improve CMS’s relationship with the private companies that process and pay fee-for-service Medicare claims.