May/June 2001

HCFA: Time For A New Name, New Image?

WASHINGTON - Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson is considering changing the Health Care Financing Administrationís (HCFAís) name to the "Medicare and Medicaid Association," or MAMA for short, CongressDaily reports.

Speaking at an American Hospital Association membership meeting, Thompson said the agency must "improve its communication skills" with the health-care industry.

However, Thompson also said Congress must boost the agency's funding so it can meet its responsibilities. Thompson said recently that he was planning to move the secretary's office to HCFA's Baltimore headquarters for a week to "personally" run the agency.

Heís also announced plans to move the administration of permits, waivers and responsibility for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act to the secretary's office. "We need to change [HCFA's] attitude to try and find a way (for it) to say, 'Yes,' " Thompson said.

Source: CongressDaily

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