CMS' Innovation Center is Funding Staff Perks, Sen. Hatch Claims

Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) is questioning the budget for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, a newly created office under the healthcare reform law, and the credibility of the office's projects, according to a report from The Hill.

The CMMI has a $10 billion budget to study new healthcare delivery and payment models, such as accountable care organizations and bundled payments. The CMMI funds many of these projects and outside research and does not receive instant feedback on these efforts. As a result, Sen. Hatch says CMMI's projects are taking too long and overlap with other Medicare and Medicaid efforts.

Sen. Hatch expressed another concern during a Finance Committee hearing, saying he's heard CMMI staffers have "state-of-the-art workspaces, including very expensive treadmill desks," according the report.

This isn't the first time Sen. Hatch has scrutinized CMMI. In November 2011, he and two other senators wrote a letter to HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, questioning several CMMI programs, how much time was spent on them and whether they produced savings.

More Articles on CMMI:

HHS Awards Nearly $300M to Support States' Innovative Care Models
The Bundled Payments for Care Improvement Program: A Hospital Analysis
Care Transitions Programs Expand Through CMS Initiative

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