The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has recalled 3000 employees – 47 percent of its workforce – furloughed earlier this month when the federal government shutdown began.
In a published report, a CMS spokesperson explained that “In order to best serve the American people amid the Medicare and Marketplace open enrollment seasons, CMS is temporarily calling back all furloughed employees on Monday, October 27.”
In addition to working on Medicare and Marketplace open enrollment, some of the employees returning to work also will participate in the review of applications for Rural Health Transformation Program funding. The deadline for states to apply for the first $10 billion pool of funds is November 5 and CMS has indicated that it intends to announce the first round of awards before the end of the year.
CMS’s Office of Hearings also has announced that it is now is open to “conduct business in the usual manner.”
Learn more about the restoration of some CMS services from the Becker’s Hospital Review article “CMS calls back all furloughed workers” and the Healthcare Dive report “CMS calls back furloughed employees to help with Medicare, ACA enrollment periods.”