Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), one of the key players leading the charge for comprehensive health reform, gently chided CMS as an institution in his remarks to reporters April 24.
"We're going to have to probably breathe new life into CMS," said Baucus, as he outlined a slew of health reform goals, including developing comparative effectiveness policies and implementing health information technology. "CMS is too used to just implementing. They're not that great at designing."
Baucus, who chairs the powerful Senate Finance Committee, didn't say which specific failures or problems occurred as a result of CMS's shortcomings, but he did offer a few possible solutions.
"We may have to give [CMS] more flexibility, more power," he said. He paused slightly to survey the room, as if making sure the coast was clear, then added: "Maybe make it more exciting to work at CMS."
The crowd of reporters looked startled for a second, then burst into a round of appreciative laughter.
"And that's going to be one of our challenges," Baucus concluded after the chuckles died down.
You can read my first post on this briefing with the honorable Sen. Baucus here, or the full story as it'll appear in the next print issue of Part B News by clicking here.