Monthly Archives: May 2024

The VA is a nationwide network of more than 1,321 health care facilities employing over 371,000 medical professionals and staff members who serve nearly 9 million veterans enrolled. Their goal is to provide unrivaled health care services to these brave American heroes – delivering unparalleled healthcare for veterans’ unsurpassed service to our nation.

Congress created the VA healthcare system to expand access to coverage, reduce health care costs and enhance quality and coordination in health care delivery. VA serves as the nation’s primary provider of health care for military members and veterans and remains a key ally in protecting our national defense.

As a result, VA healthcare services deliver comprehensive care at a significantly lower cost than private sector alternatives, even in high-income communities. This cost advantage is made possible due to VA’s unique purchasing power.

Long term care costs in VA hospitals are significantly less than private insurers or Medicare plans; their average per diem charge for inpatient care stands at just $1,600 while private insurers charge on average between $3,900 to $5,400; outpatient costs are also much lower; medications purchased in VA pharmacies cost significantly less than other commercial outlets.

Congress recently passed its inaugural full-year funding bill reflecting VA’s actual costs of operations and cost sharing policies that account for current national budgetary realities.

Bills introduced in Congress focus on increasing data availability so policymakers can evaluate the success of VA’s efforts to enhance efficiency and reduce costs, an endeavor which the American Legion strongly endorses.

VA’s ability to control health care costs stems directly from its purchasing power and experience in providing health services to veterans across our nation. VA stands as one of the nation’s premier purchasing agents with its efficient procurement operation governed by federal statute and regulation.

The Department of Veterans Affairs is funded through a combination of permanent law and annual appropriations processes. For 2015 alone, VA will spend over $270 billion on programs subject to permanent law, while over $131 billion are allocated through annual appropriation processes; any remaining expenses are funded via both forms of funding.

CMS stands for Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and is an agency responsible for managing many national healthcare programs. These programs include federal health insurance programs such as Medicare and the Health Insurance Exchanges as well as Medicaid and State Health Insurance Programs. CMS sets standards to protect patient privacy when handling electronic medical records as well as uphold HIPAA rules while overseeing quality in clinical laboratories and long-term care facilities.

CMS offers various resources for those wishing to gain more information about its policies and programs, such as Hospital Compare tool which displays information on quality at over 4,000 hospitals, or the CMS Statistics booklet which offers summary data regarding health care costs in America.

The CMS Quality Strategy is an ambitious plan to transform America’s health care system. Its goals include providing high-value, person-centric care; expediting safe and effective healthcare delivery systems; strengthening Medicare and Medicaid; increasing health equity; and optimizing medical systems efficiency.

CMS works hard to ensure Americans have access to high-value care while also increasing access to affordable health insurance options. They have several programs in place to assist those unable to afford coverage or experiencing financial difficulty; one such is Medicare Advantage which offers low-cost plans in most communities across America.

CMS’s quality strategy also strives to ensure people with disabilities receive appropriate and timely care. CMS solicits direct feedback from individuals living with disabilities in order to gain an understanding of their experiences navigating health care systems, then tailors its programs and policies accordingly. In addition, this agency works on eliminating disparities between minority and non-minority populations.

CMS (formerly Health Care Financing Administration) was created on July 30, 1965 by President Lyndon B. Johnson as part of the Department of Health and Human Services and is accountable for overseeing numerous government healthcare programs designed to promote population health such as Medicare, Medicaid and state/private health insurance plans.

CMS not only oversees Medicare but also health insurance exchanges and numerous other programs in healthcare. Recently, it has begun testing out multi-payer payment models and integrated care models as a means of improving quality while decreasing costs.

CMS is also responsible for overseeing HIPAA’s Administrative Simplification Standards. By applying these regulations, they aim to facilitate national adoption of electronic medical records while protecting patient privacy while upholding HIPAA rules.

The CMS-1500 form, also known as the CMS Certification Form, is the official standard Medicare and Medicaid health insurance claim form used by non-institutional providers and durable medical equipment regional carriers in order to submit claims directly to Medicare carriers or authorized billing entities; additionally it may also be utilized when billing Medicaid state agencies or certain private payers.