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

The primary focus of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is to ensure the health and safety of nursing home residents through regulation and oversight. This involves setting standards and conducting inspections to ensure that facilities comply with federal and state requirements for quality care. CMS plays a crucial role in monitoring the quality of care provided in nursing homes, implementing regulations that protect residents, and promoting overall health safety standards.

While regulating healthcare costs, providing training for healthcare professionals, and licensing healthcare facilities are important aspects of the broader healthcare system, they are not the central mission of CMS. The agency is primarily tasked with ensuring that nursing homes provide safe, effective, and compassionate care to residents, thus making the chosen answer the most accurate representation of CMS’s main focus.