The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has ten Regional Offices (ROs) reorganized in a Consortia structure based on the Agency’s key lines of business: Medicare health plans, Medicare financial management, Medicare fee for service operations, Medicaid and children’s health, survey & certification and quality improvement. The intent of this structure is to improve performance through uniform issue management, consistent communication and leadership focused on achieving the Agency’s strategic action plan.

The Four Consortia

Each consortium is led by a Consortium Administrator (CA) who serves as the Agency’s national focal point in the Field for their business line(s) and as such is responsible for consistent implementation of CMS programs, policy and guidance across all ten regions for matters pertaining to their business line.  In addition to responsibility for a business line, each CA also serves as the Agency’s senior management official for two or three ROs, representing the CMS Administrator in external affairs matters and overseeing administrative operations.

The business lines, CAs, location of the consortium’s headquarters and the ROs for which the CA has responsibility for administrative operations and regional external affairs (REA) are as follows:

Consortium/Business Line Consortium Administrator

(CA)

CA Location Senior Management Official
Consortium for Medicare Health Plans Operations (CMHPO) James T.Kerr New York Boston

New York

Philadelphia

Consortium for Financial Management and Fee for Service Operations (CFMFFSO) Nanette Foster Reilly Kansas City Kansas City

Denver

San Francisco

Consortium for Medicaid and Children’s Health Operations (CMCHO) Jackie Garner Chicago Chicago

Seattle

Consortium for Quality Improvement and Survey & Certification Operations (CQISCO) Randy Farris, M.D. Dallas Atlanta

Dallas

The Regional Administrators (RAs) in the six non-CA ROs including Boston, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Denver, San Francisco and Seattle are responsible for planning and implementing all external affairs initiatives within the geographic area with which they are affiliated.  Each RA reports to one of the four CAs.

The Associate Regional Administrators (ARAs) report directly to the CA responsible for the specific business line/functional area for which they are responsible (see organization charts).

Regional Offices – CMS’ Local Presence In Your Community

CMS central and ROs share a common vision and mission as well as a shared commitment to the five key objectives outlined in the CMS Strategic Plan 2008 – 2012:

1. Skilled, Committed, and Highly Motivated Workforce,

2. Affordable Health Care System,

3. High-Value Health Care,

4. Confident, Informed Consumers and

5. Collaborative Partnerships.

The ROs provide a capable, local presence necessary to achieve the Agency’s objectives and meet the constant challenges of serving approximately 90 million beneficiaries.  This role includes three key components: 1) representation, 2) protection and 3) monitoring.

Representation – By the very nature of our proximity to CMS beneficiaries and partners, the ROs play a key role in representing the Agency and delivering key messages.  Development and maintenance of regional, state and local partnerships, including those with beneficiary coalitions, professional associations and governmental entities as well as an understanding of local influences enable ROs to gain access and build collaborative partnerships that might otherwise be impossible.  These offices in the field also routinely collaborate with ROs of other Federal agencies to serve the health and human service needs of the public.

The CMS Field is a conduit of information.  These offices are constantly scanning and analyzing the regional, state and local health care marketplace and sharing their insights with central office.  They not only represent the Agency on a grassroots level, they also represent the grassroots to the Agency.  Information and data from the Field contributes to informed policymaking and solutions that make sense inside and outside the beltway.

Protection – The ROs put into practice on a regional, state and local level the protective regulations, policy and program guidance developed in central office.  They ensure protections are in place to facilitate the delivery of high-value health care that is safe, effective, efficient, patient centered, timely and equitable.

ROs implement action at the local level to safeguard the health and well-being of our beneficiaries and the trust fund.  Through ongoing customer service, patient advocacy and professional relations, they solve problems for beneficiaries, providers and other CMS stakeholders.

Monitoring – To achieve and maintain an affordable health care system, it is imperative that monitoring of CMS’ programs and evaluation of contractors/grantees is rigorous, accurate and timely.  Through ongoing monitoring of State Medicaid Agency financial claiming, state survey agencies, Managed Care Plans, Medicare claims processing contractors and peer review organizations, the ROs are the Agency’s front line in monitoring the implementation of CMS policies and regulations.

Source: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/RegionalOffices/