Innovation expedition. As the CMS gears up its new laboratory for payment and quality control, excitement is mixed with anxiety.

As the CMS prepares to launch its center for innovation, there's both excitement and apprehension. The center holds the promise of crafting bold improvements for payment systems and quality of care. "As long as there is the promise of long-term cost savings and quality improvement, they have the authority to say, 'We found something that works and we want to do it more broadly,' "says Stuart Guterman, left, of the Commonwealth Fund.