It’s difficult to overstate the significance of CMS’s mission. The agency’s actions affect millions of people, allocate over one trillion dollars and ultimately do much to influence America’s health. When I took on the position of Administrator, I was often advised to choose one or two areas of focus. Don’t take on too much, or you might not get anything done – so the advice went. But I perceived that the problems in American healthcare call for sweeping, not incremental, change. I also saw that CMS, tasked with such wide-ranging responsibilities, was capable of driving that sort of transformational shift.

With a mild winter and warm spring past us, this year it’s hard to tell where one season ends and another begins. For those of us in CMS’ Division of Training, a sure sign that summer has arrived is a new round of National Medicare Train-the-Trainer Workshops!

Late spring means the annual SHIP conference is on its way—the 18th Annual SHIP Director’s Conference will be held June 4—7 in Atlanta.

On December 19, 2011, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published a proposed rule implementing the Physician Payments Sunshine Act, which was included as section 6002 of the Affordable Care Act of 2010.  This provision will provide important transparency in requiring reporting of payments or gifts to physicians, and physician ownership and investment interests.  During the 60 day comment period, CMS received over 300 comments from a wide range of stakeholders.

Did you know that 31% of Hispanics are uninsured, compared to 12% of non-Hispanic whites? Or that less than one-third of African American adults with diabetes receive the recommended services? Or that fewer than 40% of American Indian and Alaska Native adults over 50 have gotten screened for colorectal cancer?