Plain writing

We’re committed to writing so you can understand

At the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), we’ve done a lot, like training our staff, to make sure we use plain language in any document that:

• Is necessary for obtaining any federal government benefit or service or filing taxes
• Provides information about any federal government benefit or service
• Explains to the public how to comply with a requirement that the federal government administers or enforces

Let us know if you’re having trouble

Let us know if you have trouble understanding our documents or the pages on our website. We've assigned a Plain Language Coordinator, Erin Gordon, to oversee our plain language efforts.

Read about our progress

• 2024 Annual Plain Writing Report
• 2023 Annual Plain Writing Report
• 2022 Annual Plain Writing Report 
• 2021 Annual Plain Writing Report
• 2020 Annual Plain Writing Report
• 2019 Annual Plain Writing Report
• 2018 Annual Plain Writing Report
• 2017 Annual Plain Writing Report
• 2016 Annual Plain Writing Report
• 2015 Annual Plain Writing Report
• 2014 Annual Plain Writing Report
• 2013 Annual Plain Writing Report
• 2012 Annual Plain Writing Report
• CMS Plain Writing Act Compliance Report