Agency talk. With apologies to Mark Twain (and, for that matter, Newt Gingrich), reports of HCFA's death have been greatly exaggerated.

The Health Care Financing Administration continues to plug alone while it awaits word on what sort of job it will be required to do in the future. The ongoing battle over the scope of federal authority over Medicaid, as well as managed care-driven changes in Medicare, will reshape the agency. Whatever the specifics, change is imminent.