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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), a federal organization housed within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), is in charge of running the Medicare program as well as Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and standards for health insurance portability. In addition to these programs, CMS is also in charge of enforcing administrative simplification rules established by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), overseeing HealthCare.gov, and ensuring long-term care facilities (more commonly known as nursing homes) meet quality standards through its inspection and certification procedures. Prior to 2001, CMS was known as the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA).

For information about CMS, please view guidance on this topic from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

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