HI 00208.020 Responsibilities of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Regional Offices

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services RO is responsible for a wide range of administrative activities. These include administrative coordination and operational appraisals as well as program interpretation and evaluation. Accordingly, the RO role in coordination of operational activities and assessment of program effectiveness involves direct contact with intermediaries and carriers. The RO also works closely with all other agencies and organizations which have direct or indirect involvement in the Medicare program.

The RO is empowered to exercise the necessary authority, not prohibited by other specific delegations, for effective implementation of the Medicare program in its geographic area. It has the responsibility, for example, to emphasize and reiterate program instructions emanating from central office when it believes that circumstances so warrant. It also makes current appraisals of specific program or operational issues. This may require compilation and reporting of selective data within designated time periods. While various CMS components are involved in the administration of the Medicare program, the CMS RO is the focal point for control and liaison between intermediary, carrier, and SSA activities in the field. This role also applies to policy interpretation and the referral to central office of issues which may require the establishment or revision of policy. Through these appraisals and recommendations, the RO directly participates in the development of policy at the central office level.