What is the role of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)?

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) plays a crucial role in administering federal healthcare programs, including Medicare and Medicaid. This involves overseeing the implementation and management of these programs, which provide health coverage to specific populations, such as the elderly, low-income individuals, and people with disabilities.

Medicare primarily serves those who are aged 65 and older, as well as certain younger people with disabilities, facilitating access to necessary healthcare services. Medicaid, on the other hand, provides health insurance to low-income families, children, pregnant women, elderly individuals, and people with disabilities. CMS ensures that these programs are funded, effectively administered, and updated in response to legislative changes and the evolving needs of enrollees.

While other choices reference important aspects of the healthcare system, they do not accurately represent the primary responsibilities of CMS. For example, providing direct healthcare services to low-income populations is typically the role of state and local agencies rather than CMS itself. Evaluating the quality of healthcare institutions is often conducted by various accrediting bodies and organizations but is not the core function of CMS. Similarly, regulating pharmaceutical sales and distributions falls under the jurisdiction of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), not CMS. Thus, the correct answer highlights the central function of CMS in