CMS Announces New Office of Regulatory Reform

As shared by Politico Pro:

“CMS Administrator Seema Verma today said that she’s moving to create an office for regulatory reform, part of a longer list of her 2019 priorities.

The office would aim to reduce ‘regulatory burden’ created by CMS, Verma said in an all-hands staff meeting, criticizing how her agency’s regulations have hampered providers and patients. POLITICO obtained audio of her remarks, which were confirmed by a CMS spokesperson.

CMS already has dedicated a team to its ‘Patients over Paperwork’ initiative, and Verma is moving to make that effort permanent, a CMS official told POLITICO.

In the meeting, Verma also praised staff for quickly responding to Friday night’s surprise court decision that the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional, suggesting that the ruling didn’t hamper ACA sign-ups. ‘We were able to have a very successful close to open enrollment,’ she said.

Verma reiterated that Medicare Advantage — the part of Medicare run by private insurers — is the template for how she views the overall Medicare program. Among her goals: ‘Modernize Medicare into a patient-driven program with affordable choices that is based on market principles and encourages innovation,’ one of Verma’s slides read.”

ANCOR will keep members informed of how this could apply to regulations pertaining to I/DD supports.