Posts Tagged ‘CMS’
CMS Skips Another Year on the MCMG
Health plans are wondering “where are my updated Medicare Communications and Marketing Guidelines (MCMG)?” For the second consecutive year, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) stated that there will be no updated MCMG for CY2021. Instead, plans are instructed to use the existing MCMG and related memos from CY2020. How will changes be…
Read More4 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 More3 Ways your Health Plan is Overspending – And How to Stop
Health plans today are feeling more pressure than ever before to do more with less. With increased scrutiny from The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and decreased budgets, leadership is constantly looking for ways to save money. Doing so might be easier than you think. Below are three ways that health plans are…
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 MoreErrors in ANOCs and EOCs could cost up to $55 per affected enrollee
Over the last several years, The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has taken an increasingly tough stance on health plans that distribute Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) and Evidence of Coverage (EOC) documents with unclear and/or inaccurate benefit information. CMS is no longer sending health plans warnings for these errors; they are imposing…
Read MoreDocument Accuracy Assessment helps identify errors before CMS
The creation of your Annual Notice of Changes (ANOC) and Evidence of Coverage (EOC) document is a very challenging process and can be a strain on already over-taxed resources. Ensuring the accuracy of these documents is extremely important, as CMS has taken an increasingly tough stance on plans that distribute documents with unclear and/or inaccurate…
Read MoreCodySoft® Adds Part C and Part D Reporting Feature
CodySoft® has added a new feature to its Investigations Module®, making it easier for health plans to pull their Part C and Part D reports on plan oversight of agents. Even though the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) no longer requires this report in the annual Part C and D reports, health plans…
Read MoreIndustry Alert: Iowa Senator Calls for Greater Scrutiny of MA Plans
Kaiser Health News recently published an article about Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) asking federal health officials to tighten scrutiny of private Medicare Advantage (MA) health plans. His request comes amid ongoing concern that insurers over-bill the government by billions of dollars every year. In mid-April, Grassley wrote a letter to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services…
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