Discuss the health system program history and the regulatory agency that governs the system.

The Health System Program (HSP) is a federal program that was created by the Social Security Act of 1965. The purpose of HSP is to provide health care coverage to eligible individuals and families who are low-income, elderly, disabled, or children without insurance coverage. HSP provides access to medical services such as physician visits, hospitalizations, preventive screenings and immunizations. Funding for this program comes from both federal and state sources.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), formerly known as the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA), serves as the regulatory agency responsible for administering HSP. CMS is responsible for setting eligibility criteria; establishing payment rates; monitoring the quality of care provided by providers; informing policy makers about health care trends; providing technical assistance to states in developing their own programs; and overseeing appeals processes related to claim denials or requests for additional information from beneficiaries.