Posts by Stephen Billias
4 ways to reduce – or eliminate – errors in your ANOCs and EOCs
The accuracy of Annual Notice of Changes (ANOC) and Evidence of Coverage (EOC) documents is an important requirement for all health plans. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) takes errors in these documents very seriously and penalties are given to health plans that distribute documents with errors. CMS recently announced changes to the…
Read MorePERSPECTIVES: Combining Medicare and Medicaid into One Program
The status quo of government-sponsored health programs is beginning to fail. The government recently reported that Medicare will run out of money in less than 20 years unless drastic changes are made. But how can our health care system be altered to correct deficiencies and adjust to changing conditions, avoid a huge financial crisis in…
Read MoreDealing with Change in the Medicare World
The healthcare world and Medicare health coverage are in a state of rapid and uncertain change. What can health plans and those serving health plans, such as pharmacy benefit managers and even consultants, do to be ready for both anticipated and unanticipated changes? Here are some of the issues facing the industry in today’s turbulent…
Read MoreStart Now for an Easier ANOCs and EOCs Creation Season Next Year
Every year, the people who produce marketing materials for their Medicare members are extremely busy from April through September. Deadlines are tight and timelines are aggressive for creating, printing and mailing the Annual Notice of Changes (ANOCs), Evidence of Coverage (EOCs) and Summary of Benefits (SBs) documents. Very few people in these roles take vacation…
Read MoreThe Pros and Cons of Updating Last Year’s AEP Materials vs. Using CMS’s Model Docs
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will release its 2018 Model Documents for Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) materials any day. When it does, health plans will face the same question they face year after year – do we start fresh using this year’s Model Documents or update last year’s materials? With Annual Notice…
Read MoreBest Practices for Language beyond the CMS Model Language
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) templates for the Annual Notice of Changes (ANOC) and Evidence of Coverage (EOC) contain extensive model language that is required and must be used by every insurer. However, there are also numerous places in these documents where health plans have latitude and flexibility to use their own…
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