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Mission, Vision, Goals, and Objectives


CMS's Mission

We assure health care security for beneficiaries.

CMS's Vision

In serving beneficiaries, we will open our programs to full partnership with the entire health community to improve quality and efficiency in an evolving health care system.

CMS's Goals

  • Protect and improve beneficiary health and satisfaction.
  • Foster appropriate and predictable payments and high quality care.
  • Promote understanding of CMS programs among beneficiaries, the health care community, and the public.
  • Promote the fiscal integrity of CMS programs and be an accountable steward of public funds.
  • Foster excellence in the design and administration of CMS programs.
  • Provide leadership in the broader health care marketplace to improve health.

CMS's Objectives


Program Objectives


Access to Quality Care


  1. Expand health care choices and further strengthen programs and services to adapt to beneficiary needs.
  2. Improve quality of care and health outcomes for the beneficiaries of CMS programs.
  3. Improve access to services for underserved and vulnerable beneficiary populations, including eliminating health disparities.
  4. Protect beneficiaries from substandard or unnecessary care.

Services to Beneficiaries

  1. Improve beneficiary satisfaction with programs, services, and care.
  2. Strengthen CMS's communications with Medicare beneficiaries, caregivers, partners, and stakeholders to enhance the information provided to beneficiaries.
  3. Strengthen CMS's communications with states, territories, tribal governments, and other partners and stakeholders to enhance the information provided to Medicaid and SCHIP beneficiaries.
  4. Strengthen beneficiary program protections and improve communications with State Departments of Insurance to enhance the information provided to individuals regarding their health insurance rights.

Operational Objectives


Program Administration

  1. Promote the fiscal soundness of CMS programs.
  2. Modernize and effectively manage CMS's information systems and technology.
  3. Improve CMS's Medicare contractor management.
  4. Design and maintain payment processes that pay claims only for covered, medically-necessary services, at correct payment amounts, and in a timely manner.
  5. Strengthen program safeguards.
  6. Develop and refine payment systems to foster efficiency, promote innovative service delivery and appropriate utilization, and ensure access to care for beneficiaries.
  7. Ensure that CMS effectively manages and deploys its human resources.
  8. Strengthen diversity at all levels of CMS's staff and business partners.

Relationship Building

  1. Enhance responsiveness by improving communications with and service for physicians, other health care professionals, providers, health plans, states, territories, tribal governments, the Congress, and other stakeholders.
  2. Continually improve CMS programs and operations by actively seeking and responding to the input of beneficiaries and the health care community.
  3. Provide enhanced flexibility to states to design and administer their Medicaid and SCHIP programs in ways that improve service, coverage, and quality.
  4. Increase public knowledge of the financing and delivery of health care services in CMS programs and in the broader health care system. health care services in CMS programs and in the broader health care system.
Last Modified on Thursday, September 16, 2004