Maximus

Product brand

A U.S.-based government services company that operates health, human services, technology, and citizen-support programs for public-sector clients.

Last updated August 31, 2026

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Overview

Maximus Inc. is a government services and business-process operations company headquartered in Tysons, Virginia. Founded in 1975 by David V. Mastran, the company began as a consulting and information-technology provider to the U.S. federal government and later developed into a large contractor operating public programs on behalf of federal, state, local, and international authorities. Its work is concentrated in areas where governments require specialized administrative capacity, technology modernization, customer contact operations, eligibility and enrollment support, clinical assessments, appeals management, and employment or welfare-to-work services. The company’s development has closely followed the increasing use of private-sector contractors to administer publicly funded programs. In 1988, Maximus won its first social-welfare contract, from Los Angeles County, helping move the business toward outsourced program administration and state and local consulting. Changes to U.S. welfare and Medicaid policy during the 1990s expanded the potential market for companies able to help governments deliver federally funded, state-administered services. Maximus went public in 1997 on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol MMS. Maximus has supported programs associated with Medicaid, Medicare, the Affordable Care Act, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, refugee services, child support, disability determinations, student-loan administration, and employment services. Its federal work has also included technology integration, application development, systems modernization, maintenance, appeals, assessments, and business-process support for agencies such as the Department of Education, the Department of Veterans Affairs, FEMA, the Internal Revenue Service, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Defense Information Systems Agency. The company streamlined its portfolio between 2008 and 2010 by divesting security, justice, education, asset-management, and enterprise-resource-planning activities. This sharpened its focus on health and human services. It subsequently expanded through acquisitions, including Policy Studies Incorporated, Ascend, Health Management Ltd., Acentia, Attain, and Veterans Evaluation Services. In 2021, it also assumed servicing of millions of U.S. Department of Education-owned student-loan accounts through a contract novation with Navient and established the Aidvantage operating business. Maximus divides its operations into U.S. Services, U.S. Federal Services, and Outside the U.S. The U.S. businesses provide business-process services, appeals and assessments, consulting, and program operations for state and local governments. Federal Services combines program administration with information technology and modernization work. International operations have included health and disability assessments, employment-support programs, and other government or commercial business-process services in the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. The company also became involved in public-health response during the COVID-19 pandemic, supporting testing-result communication, contact tracing, vaccine information, appointment scheduling, and hotline operations. Its role in administering government services has made it a significant participant in debates over outsourcing, labor conditions, public accountability, and the use of private contractors in essential social programs. Maximus remains an active publicly traded government-services provider, with its commercial identity centered on helping public agencies deliver complex programs at scale.

History

Maximus was established in 1975 by David V. Mastran as a consulting firm serving the U.S. federal government. Its early work included information technology and advisory services. During the 1980s and 1990s, U.S. policy increasingly encouraged governments to use private contractors for administrative functions associated with public programs. Maximus entered social-welfare administration in 1988 after receiving a contract from Los Angeles County. That award marked a strategic shift from general consulting toward business-process outsourcing and state and local program operations. Federal welfare reform in the 1990s created additional opportunities. The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 gave states broader discretion in administering welfare programs, while the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 modified Medicaid eligibility, enrollment, and beneficiary provisions. Maximus became a public company in 1997, listing on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker MMS. Subsequent welfare-policy changes during the George W. Bush administration further entrenched public-private delivery models for federally funded, state-administered programs. The company expanded its service portfolio during the 2000s, but later disposed of several non-core businesses. Richard Montoni, previously the company’s chief financial officer, became chief executive officer in 2006. Between 2008 and 2010, Maximus divested its Security Solutions, Justice Solutions, Education Systems, Asset Solutions, and enterprise-resource-planning divisions. These transactions concentrated the company on health and human services, government administration, and related technology. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 supported further demand for contractors able to administer health-insurance exchanges, Medicaid-related work, Medicare services, and customer-support operations. Between 2010 and 2013, Maximus acquired Policy Studies Incorporated to strengthen U.S. government consulting and program capabilities, acquired Ascend to expand clinical assessment services, and acquired the United Kingdom-based Health Management Ltd. The company completed its $300 million acquisition of Acentia in April 2015, adding federal technology and systems capabilities. In 2018, Montoni retired after twelve years as chief executive. Bruce Caswell, then president, became CEO and promoted a strategy centered on digitally enabled citizen service, technology modernization, and clinical-service expansion. In November that year, Maximus acquired U.S. Federal citizen-engagement-center assets from General Dynamics Information Technology for $400 million in cash. The company also expanded its diversity and inclusion organization, appointing Dr. Arvenita Washington Cherry as senior director of diversity, equity, and inclusion in 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic broadened Maximus’s public-health work. Beginning in 2020, it helped agencies communicate testing results, conduct contact tracing, and establish citizen contact centers. In 2021, its activities shifted increasingly toward vaccine information, appointment scheduling, and hotline support. The company also completed acquisitions of Attain, a technology-integration firm, and Veterans Evaluation Services, a provider of clinical assessments. During the same year, Maximus and Navient arranged the transfer of federal student-loan servicing accounts into the Aidvantage business. Maximus relocated its headquarters to Tysons, Virginia, in May 2022. Later that year, CMS awarded the company a ten-year contract extending its role in federal citizen contact centers, including 1-800-MEDICARE. The contract subsequently became the subject of a labor and procurement dispute. HHS announced in 2023 that it intended to re-compete the work with a labor-harmony requirement. In 2024, CMS stopped the rebid effort after criticism from state attorneys general and congressional figures who questioned the decision to end and restructure an ongoing arrangement. Maximus continues to operate across U.S. state, local, and federal programs and in selected international markets, with its principal businesses focused on government administration, health and human services, technology, assessments, and citizen engagement.

2024
CMS ends planned contract rebid
[1]Maximus Inc.en.wikipedia.org
CMS halts its effort to re-compete the Maximus contact-center contract.
2022
CMS extends citizen-contact role
[1]Maximus Inc.en.wikipedia.org
CMS awards Maximus a ten-year contract covering federal citizen contact centers, including 1-800-MEDICARE.
2021
Aidvantage and major acquisitions
[1]Maximus Inc.en.wikipedia.org
Maximus establishes Aidvantage through a student-loan servicing transfer and acquires Attain and Veterans Evaluation Services.
2020
COVID-19 response expands
[1]Maximus Inc.en.wikipedia.org
Maximus supports government testing communications, contact tracing, and public-health contact centers.
2018
Bruce Caswell becomes CEO
[1]Maximus Inc.en.wikipedia.org
Bruce Caswell succeeds Richard Montoni and emphasizes digital citizen services, modernization, and clinical delivery.
2015
Acentia acquisition completed
[1]Maximus Inc.en.wikipedia.org
Maximus completes its acquisition of federal technology contractor Acentia.
2008
Portfolio rationalization begins
[1]Maximus Inc.en.wikipedia.org
Maximus begins divesting non-core security, justice, education, asset, and enterprise-resource-planning businesses.
2006
Richard Montoni becomes CEO
[1]Maximus Inc.en.wikipedia.org
Former chief financial officer Richard Montoni takes over as chief executive.
1997
Public listing
[1]Maximus Inc.en.wikipedia.org
Maximus begins trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol MMS.
1988
First social-welfare contract
[1]Maximus Inc.en.wikipedia.org
A Los Angeles County award moves Maximus toward outsourced social-welfare administration and state and local program consulting.
1975
Maximus is founded
[1]Maximus Inc.en.wikipedia.org
David V. Mastran establishes Maximus as a consulting and information-technology provider to the U.S. federal government.

Products and positioning

A specialized government-services contractor focused on operating complex health, human-services, citizen-engagement, and public-sector technology programs.

Government program administration
Health and human services program operations
Maximus operates and supports public programs involving Medicaid, Medicare, CHIP, Affordable Care Act exchanges, SNAP, TANF, refugee assistance, welfare-to-work, and related eligibility, enrollment, appeals, and beneficiary services. The work combines contact-center operations, case and document processing, policy implementation, consulting, and technology-enabled administration for government agencies.
Health services
Clinical assessments and appeals
The company provides independent assessments, medical examinations, disability determinations, and appeals support for public programs. Through Veterans Evaluation Services and other operations, it has supported disability examination services for the Department of Veterans Affairs and appeals or review functions connected with Medicare and other government health programs.
Citizen services
Citizen contact centers
Maximus designs and operates contact centers that explain government programs, answer beneficiary questions, schedule appointments, process inquiries, and support large public communications campaigns. Its federal work has included citizen engagement for Medicare, public health, disaster-related programs, and other national agencies.
Information technology services
Federal technology and modernization
Federal Services delivers systems and application development, technology integration, maintenance, business-process engineering, and modernization for government agencies. This work has included support for the Department of Education, IRS, SEC, Department of Energy, DISA, and other federal clients.
Employment services
Employment and welfare-to-work services
Maximus helps governments administer employment-support and welfare-to-work programs. International examples include work for the United Kingdom’s welfare and disability-assessment systems, employment support in Australia and Canada, and U.S. programs such as Ticket to Work and related safety-net services.
Student-loan servicing · 2021
Aidvantage
Aidvantage is the Maximus operating business created to service U.S. Department of Education-owned student-loan accounts transferred through a 2021 contract novation with Navient. Its activities include borrower account administration and related federal student-loan servicing functions.

Marketing campaigns

2021National vaccine hotline support
United States
Following state-level vaccine-support work, Maximus was selected to support a national hotline program connected with vaccine distribution.
Outcome. The program extended the company’s public-health contact-center role during the pandemic.
Source
2020COVID-19 public-health response
United States
Maximus supported public agencies with testing-result communication, contact tracing, citizen-engagement centers, and other pandemic-response operations.
Outcome. The work expanded into vaccine information, appointment scheduling, and hotline support.
Source
2009Project NOW
Shelby County, Tennessee, United States
Maximus launched Project NOW, or Negotiating Outstanding Warrants, alongside its child-support enforcement work to help parents address missed support payments.
Outcome. The initiative collected more than $35,000 and helped nearly 100 parents, according to the referenced account.
Source

Brand decisions

2024
CMS halts the proposed rebidStrategy
Background
HHS had announced plans to re-compete the Maximus contact-center contract with a labor-harmony provision, drawing criticism from some state attorneys general and congressional observers.
Action taken
CMS stopped efforts to rebid the contract.
Aftermath
The decision ended the immediate procurement challenge and left the termination and labor-policy questions politically contested.
Source
2022
Extend the CMS citizen-contact-center roleOther
Background
After a competitive procurement process lasting approximately three years, CMS selected Maximus for continued operation of major federal citizen contact centers.
Action taken
CMS awarded Maximus a ten-year contract that included the 1-800-MEDICARE operation.
Aftermath
The award preserved Maximus’s central role in federal health-program customer engagement, although the arrangement later became subject to a proposed rebid and labor-harmony dispute.
Source
2021
Create Aidvantage through student-loan servicing transferM&A
Background
Navient and Maximus agreed to transfer servicing of U.S. Department of Education-owned student-loan accounts through a contract novation.
Action taken
Maximus established Aidvantage as the operating business for the transferred federal accounts.
Aftermath
The transaction expanded Maximus’s federal education-services activities into large-scale student-loan servicing.
Source
2018
Acquire federal citizen-engagement-center assetsM&A
Background
Maximus aimed to expand its federal citizen-service and contact-center operations.
Action taken
The company acquired U.S. Federal citizen-engagement-center assets from General Dynamics Information Technology.
Aftermath
The acquisition increased Maximus’s federal customer-engagement capacity.
Cash consideration. $400 million (November 2018)
Source
2015
Acquire AcentiaM&A
Background
Maximus sought to strengthen its federal technology and modernization capabilities.
Action taken
The company completed the acquisition of Acentia, a Falls Church-based technology contractor.
Aftermath
The transaction expanded Maximus’s federal technology business.
Acquisition consideration. $300 million (2015)
Source
2008
Concentrate the portfolio on health and human servicesStrategy
Background
Maximus operated businesses in security, justice, education, asset solutions, and enterprise-resource-planning services in addition to its public-program work.
Action taken
Between 2008 and 2010, the company divested several non-core divisions and focused more heavily on health and human services solutions.
Aftermath
The restructuring established the service mix that defines Maximus’s modern government-services business.
Source

Recent events

2025
Veterans Evaluation Services receives renewed Veterans Affairs contracts[1]Maximus Inc.en.wikipedia.org
Other
The Department of Veterans Affairs re-awarded Maximus subsidiary Veterans Evaluation Services contracts for domestic regions covering medical disability examinations through 2026.
2024
CMS halts the planned rebid of the Maximus contract[1]Maximus Inc.en.wikipedia.org
Regulation · Other
CMS ended efforts to rebid the contact-center contract, after criticism from observers, state attorneys general, and congressional figures regarding the proposed labor provisions and termination process.
2023
HHS seeks to re-compete the CMS contact-center contract[1]Maximus Inc.en.wikipedia.org
Regulation · Other
The Department of Health and Human Services announced that it intended to re-compete the contract and include a labor-harmony provision, prompting public and political debate.
2022
CMS awards Maximus a long-term citizen-contact-center contract[1]Maximus Inc.en.wikipedia.org
Other
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services awarded Maximus a contract extending its role in operating federal citizen contact centers, including 1-800-MEDICARE.
2021
Maximus and Navient transfer federal student-loan servicing accounts[1]Maximus Inc.en.wikipedia.org
M&A · Other
The companies announced a contract novation transferring servicing for U.S. Department of Education-owned student-loan accounts to a new Maximus operating business, Aidvantage.
2020
Maximus begins COVID-19 public-health response work[1]Maximus Inc.en.wikipedia.org
Other
The company began supporting federal, state, and local agencies with testing communications, contact tracing, and related pandemic-response operations.
2020
Maximus creates Maximus Public Health[1]Maximus Inc.en.wikipedia.org
Other
Maximus announced a dedicated public-health organization to support citizen-engagement centers, disease-containment efforts, and vaccine distribution.

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