Jeffrey (Jeff) N. Brown, CEO
I am the only HMS employee to have been blessed to work in this firm twice! I first joined HMS in 1979 while simultaneously attending evening classes to complete my dual college major of accounting and marketing. In 1980 I left HMS taking on positions in healthcare such as Corporate Reimbursement Consultant at a large not-for-profit chain, Hospital Assistant Controller, Controller (For-Profit) and Manager of a 62 physician Independent Practitioners Association (IPA). I returned to HMS for the 2nd time in December 1990 loaded with “hands-on” healthcare financial experience and have enjoyed the time immensely.
The reimbursement environment in healthcare is riddled with time restrictions, regulations and pressure to complete projects timely, even at times when data is flawed and unorganized. My focus is always to provide quality services to all clients and to perform our services in such a way as to minimize the project demand upon our clients and their staff as much as possible and meet mandated time tables. One approach I use to accomplish this is to become a “good friend” with every client. I believe the “personal touch” helps all of us move through the tough road of healthcare reimbursement and finance. We can’t make the road any easier so let’s make the best of it together.
Foster Evans, Vice President
Mr. Evans came to HMS from the Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) serving CMS Jurisdiction 1 (California, Nevada, Hawaii, Guam, Saipan, and Samoa).
Mr. Evans is a graduate of California State University, Northridge with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with an option in Accounting Theory and Practice. He is also a member of the Southern California Chapter of the Healthcare Financial Management Association.
Mr. Evans started with the Medicare Fiscal Intermediary (FI) serving California (Blue Cross of California) in 1986 as an auditor, eventually becoming one of the two senior managers responsible for the Part A audit responsibilities when the FI responsibilities transitioned to the MAC system.
Mr. Evans became one of the leading technical representatives for the FI/MAC. He provided reimbursement advice to providers, helped in training the Intermediary/MAC audit staff in various reimbursement issues, and worked on developing the audit policies and procedures used by the audit staff. Mr. Evans has extensive knowledge related to the significant reimbursement issues for hospitals and skilled nursing facilities, including Medicare Disproportionate Share, Medical Education (IME, GME, and Nursing and Allied Health programs), bad debts, organ acquisition and wage index. He also has extensive experience with cost reimbursement for Critical Access Hospitals and Rural Health Clinics.
This reimbursement knowledge, along with his understanding of MAC operations, allows HMS to provide expert assistance to our clients in cost reporting, audit, and appeals.
Robert (Bob) C. Perkins, Founder (Retired)
The Medicare Program started July 1, 1966. At the time I was employed with the United States General Accounting (now Accountability) Office (GAO). In 1967 I was the senior auditor on the first audit of the Medicare Program. Upon completion of that audit I decided there was an opportunity knocking so I left GAO to accept employment with then the largest Medicare intermediary, Blue Cross of Southern California, with the intention of learning all I could about what then was a very limited number of regulations in this new program called Medicare.
In June of 1969, I left Blue Cross and started Hospital Management Services. Over the last 40 plus years, having prepared literally thousands of Medicare and State cost reports, there isn’t much in the area of reimbursement I or the staff at HMS has not seen and done to improve the cash flow for our clients.
Sure I have been a member of the various trade associations, spoken at some of their seminars, made presentations to hospital boards, but the item that excites me most about this business is brain storming with our clients, thinking “outside the box” to find ways in helping our clients increase their reimbursement dollars. Just two of many “outside the box” thinking projects; one, under cost based reimbursement HMS was successful in getting Medicare to pay for the amortization of land. And two, under Medicare disproportionate share HMS was successful in having Medicare recognize skilled nursing bed days within the DSH calculation.
William (Bill) A. Fretwell, President (Retired)
I started working at HMS in September 1973; after graduating from college I joined the Air Force and was involved in a number of missions, all the way from launching Minuteman Missiles, managing bid processes regarding aerospace companies that were eager to build U.S. Space Communications Satellites, to financial management and budgeting of U.S., British, and other foreign countries space communication satellite programs. These assignments with the Air Force led me to strike up an interest in business finance and Bob, our CEO, contacted me in 1973 while I was still in the Air Force and asked me if I would be interested in joining him to develop a business involving Medicare and Medi-Cal reimbursement and reporting. I agreed to do so. What struck my interest was that at that time the field of health care reimbursement was very new and this area was wide open for the opportunity to excel. I love the challenge of applying the reimbursement regulations to the financial operations of the health care industry and their required reporting requirements via the annual cost reporting
It has been my goal in life to provide both help and support to people. The field of health care reimbursement provides a tremendous opportunity to help and assist clients in meeting their reimbursement reporting requirements through the preparation of their annual Cost Reports. Along with that endeavor comes the challenge to assist our clients in maximizing their reimbursement by guiding them, through the maze of thousands of regulations that may apply to a provider’s specific setting.