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Dear States, Territories, and CHIP Directors:
The purpose of this note is to alert you of an organizational change we are making at CMS. Today, we are integrating the Consortium for Medicaid and Children’s Health Operations (CMCHO) and the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services (CMCS) into one, unified Medicaid team. Our main goals with this integration are to:
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Improve integration between the central and regional offices;
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Adopt common performance objectives and metrics across the Medicaid program; and
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Support greater integration of the work that is being done by the regions into our overall policy development efforts.
Our continued focus is to transform the Medicaid program by offering greater flexibility to states and Territories, with a healthy balance of accountability, and to improve transparency and program integrity. The more we are aligned internally, the better CMS will deliver on our agenda to transform the healthcare delivery system.
This realignment will not change how you interact with the regional offices. You will continue to work with your current Associate Regional Administrator and their teams as you do now.
The CMCHO regional office staff will now be reporting directly into CMCS as the Regional Operations Group (ROG). ROG staff will continue to physically reside within the ten regional offices.
We are consolidating the ten current Medicaid Field Operations Divisions to four based on the four broad regions of the country:
(1) The North Division, consisting of Chicago and Kansas City
(2) The South Division, consisting of Atlanta and Dallas
(3) The East Division, consisting of Boston, New York, and Philadelphia
(4) The West Division, consisting of Denver, San Francisco, and Seattle
These four Medicaid Field Operations Divisions will reside in the ROG and, therefore, report directly into CMCS.
Our main goal is to improve customer service to our beneficiaries and stakeholders. Thank you in advance for your support as we transition into this new organizational structure. We are confident that these changes will enhance the expertise, support, and responsiveness that CMCS strives to provide you, and we look forward to our continued partnership with you as we seek to accomplish CMS’ mission-critical work.
For additional information, we have included a link to the Federal Register Notice here: https://s3.amazonaws.com/public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2019-02400.pdf
Sincerely,
Chris Traylor, Acting Deputy Administrator and Director
Timothy B. Hill, Deputy Center Director
Deidre Gifford, Deputy Center Director
Jackie Garner, Deputy Center Director
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