The truth about CMS

CMS is the well-known acronym for Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Have you ever wondered why the acronym is missing a second letter M? We were curious.

According to an Incidental Economist blog post in 2014, there is a simple explanation. It has to do with a naming contest for the newly formed government agency and a conversation between the two decision makers reviewing the selected finalists.

When the appointed CMS administrator Tom Scully and Secretary Tommy Thompson made their choice, originally they wanted to call it the Medicare and Medicaid Administration. However, there was concern that women wouldn’t be happy with the MMA acronym. Instead, they opted for the name as we know it today.

During an interview with Scully in 2003, journalist Uwe Reinhardt asked him “which of the two Ms—Medicare or Medicaid—didn’t you give a dang about?” Scully said that since he mumbled,  they agreed to omit one of the M’s to avoid confusion.

That’s the story except for a footnote: CMMS and CMS are common acronyms used in business, banking, insurance, the military, space science, multicultural studies and for a newspaper—Central Maine Morning Sentinel.