42 CFR 422.112 - Access to services.

§ 422.112 Access to services.

(a)Rules for coordinated care plans. An MA organization that offers an MA coordinated care plan may specify the networks of providers from whom enrollees may obtain services if the MA organization ensures that all covered services, including supplemental services contracted for by (or on behalf of) the Medicare enrollee, are available and accessible under the plan. To accomplish this, the MA organization must meet the following requirements:

(1)Provider network.

(i) Maintain and monitor a network of appropriate providers that is supported by written agreements and is sufficient to provide adequate access to covered services to meet the needs of the population served. These providers are typically used in the network as primary care providers (PCPs), specialists, hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, home health agencies, ambulatory clinics, and other providers.

(ii)Exception: MA regional plans, upon CMS pre-approval, can use methods other than written agreements to establish that access requirements are met.

(2)PCP panel. Establish a panel of PCPs from which the enrollee may select a PCP. If an MA organization requires its enrollees to obtain a referral in most situations before receiving services from a specialist, the MA organization must either assign a PCP for purposes of making the needed referral or make other arrangements to ensure access to medically necessary specialty care.

(3)Specialty care. Provide or arrange for necessary specialty care, and in particular give women enrollees the option of direct access to a women's health specialist within the network for women's routine and preventive health care services provided as basic benefits (as defined in § 422.2). The MA organization arranges for specialty care outside of the plan provider network when network providers are unavailable or inadequate to meet an enrollee's medical needs.

(4)Service area expansion. If seeking a service area expansion for an MA plan, demonstrate that the number and type of providers available to plan enrollees are sufficient to meet projected needs of the population to be served.

(5)Credentialed providers. Demonstrate to CMS that its providers in an MA plan are credentialed through the process set forth at § 422.204(a).

(6)Written standards. Establish written standards for the following:

(i) Timeliness of access to care and member services that meet or exceed standards established by CMS. Timely access to care and member services within a plan's provider network must be continuously monitored to ensure compliance with these standards, and the MA organization must take corrective action as necessary.

(ii) Policies and procedures (coverage rules, practice guidelines, payment policies, and utilization management) that allow for individual medical necessity determinations.

(iii) Provider consideration of beneficiary input into the provider's proposed treatment plan.

(7)Hours of operation. Ensure that -

(i) The hours of operation of its MA plan providers are convenient to the population served under the plan and do not discriminate against Medicare enrollees; and

(ii) Plan services are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, when medically necessary.

(8)Cultural considerations. Ensure that services are provided in a culturally competent manner to all enrollees, including those with limited English proficiency or reading skills, and diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds.

(9)Ambulance services, emergency and urgently needed services, and post-stabilization care services coverage. Provide coverage for ambulance services, emergency and urgently needed services, and post-stabilization care services in accordance with § 422.113.

(10)Prevailing patterns of community health care delivery. MA plans that meet Medicare access and availability requirements through direct contracting network providers must do so consistent with the prevailing community pattern of health care delivery in the areas where the network is being offered. Factors making up community patterns of health care delivery that CMS will use as a benchmark in evaluating a proposed MA plan health care delivery network include, but are not limited to the following:

(i) The number and geographical distribution of eligible health care providers available to potentially contract with an MAO to furnish plan covered services within the proposed service area of the MA plans.

(ii) The prevailing market conditions in the service area of the MA plan. Specifically, the number and distribution of health care providers contracting with other health care plans (both commercial and Medicare) operating in the service area of the plan.

(iii) Whether the service area is comprised of rural or urban areas or some combination of the two.

(iv) Whether the MA plan's proposed provider network meet Medicare time and distance standards for member access to health care providers including specialties.

(v) Other factors that CMS determines are relevant in setting a standard for an acceptable health care delivery network in a particular service area.

(b)Continuity of care. MA organizations offering coordinated care plans must ensure continuity of care and integration of services through arrangements with contracted providers that include -

(1) Policies that specify under what circumstances services are coordinated and the methods for coordination;

(2) Offering to provide each enrollee with an ongoing source of primary care and providing a primary care source to each enrollee who accepts the offer;

(3) Programs for coordination of plan services with community and social services generally available through contracting or noncontracting providers in the area served by the MA plan, including nursing home and community-based services; and

(4) Procedures to ensure that the MA organization and its provider network have the information required for effective and continuous patient care and quality review, including procedures to ensure that -

(i) The MA organization makes a “best-effort” attempt to conduct an initial assessment of each enrollee's health care needs, including following up on unsuccessful attempts to contact an enrollee, within 90 days of the effective date of enrollment;

(ii) Each provider, supplier, and practitioner furnishing services to enrollees maintains an enrollee health record in accordance with standards established by the MA organization, taking into account professional standards; and

(iii) There is appropriate and confidential exchange of information among provider network components.

(5) Procedures to ensure that enrollees are informed of specific health care needs that require follow-up and receive, as appropriate, training in self-care and other measures they may take to promote their own health; and

(6) Systems to address barriers to enrollee compliance with prescribed treatments or regimens.

(7) With respect to drugs for which payment as so prescribed and dispensed or administered to an individual may be available under Part A or Part B, or under Part D, MA-PD plans must coordinate all benefits administered by the plan and -

(i) Establish and maintain a process to ensure timely and accurate point-of-sale transactions; and

(ii) Issue the determination and authorize or provide the benefit under Part A or Part B or as a benefit under Part D as expeditiously as the enrollee's health condition requires, in accordance with the requirements of subpart M of this part and subpart M of part 423 of this chapter, as appropriate, when a party requests a coverage determination.

(c)Essential hospital. An MA regional plan may seek, upon application to CMS, to designate a noncontr acting hospital as an essential hospital as defined in section 1858(h) of the Act under the following conditions:

(1) The hospital that the MA regional plan seeks to designate as essential is a general acute care hospital identified as a “subsection(d)” hospital as defined in section 1886(d)(1)(B) of the Act.

(2) The MA regional plan provides convincing evidence to CMS that the MA regional plan needs to contract with the hospital as a condition of meeting access requirements under this section.

(3) The MA regional plan must establish that it made a “good faith” effort to contract with the hospital to be designated as an essential hospital and that the hospital refused to contract with it despite its “good faith” effort. A “good faith” effort to contract will be established to the extent that the MA regional plan can show it has offered the hospital a contract providing for the payment of rates in an amount no less than the amount the hospital would have received had payment been made under section 1886(d) of the Act.

(4) The MA regional plan must establish that there are no competing Medicare participating hospitals in the area to which MA regional plan enrollees could reasonably be referred for inpatient hospital services.

(5) The hospital that is an essential hospital under this paragraph provides convincing evidence to CMS that the amounts normally payable under section 1886 of the Act (and which the MA regional plan has agreed to pay) will be less than the hospital's actual costs of providing care to the MA regional plan's enrollee.

(6) If CMS determines the requirements in paragraphs (c)(1) through (c)(5) of this section have been met, it will make payment to the essential hospital in accordance with section 1858(h)(2) of the Act based on the order in which claims are received, as limited by the amounts specified in section 1858(h)(3) of the Act.

(7) If CMS determines the requirements in paragraphs (c)(1) through (c)(4) of this section have been met, (and if they continue to be met upon annual renewal of the CMS contract with the MA organization offering the MA regional plan), then the hospital designated by the MA regional plan in paragraph (c)(1) of this section shall be “deemed” to be a network hospital to that MA regional plan based on the exception in paragraph (a)(1)(ii) of this section and normal in-network inpatient hospital cost sharing levels (including the catastrophic limit described in § 422.101(d)(2)) shall apply to all plan members accessing covered inpatient hospital services in that hospital.

[ 64 FR 7980, Feb. 17, 1999, as amended at 65 FR 40321, June 29, 2000; 70 FR 4722, Jan. 28, 2005; 70 FR 76197, Dec. 23, 2005; 75 FR 19805, Apr. 15, 2010; 76 FR 21563, Apr. 15, 2011; 80 FR 7959, Feb. 12, 2015]

This is a list of United States Code sections, Statutes at Large, Public Laws, and Presidential Documents, which provide rulemaking authority for this CFR Part.

This list is taken from the Parallel Table of Authorities and Rules provided by GPO [Government Printing Office].

It is not guaranteed to be accurate or up-to-date, though we do refresh the database weekly. More limitations on accuracy are described at the GPO site.

United States Code

U.S. Code: Title 42 - THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE

§ 1302 - Rules and regulations; impact analyses of Medicare and Medicaid rules and regulations on small rural hospitals

§ 1395hh - Regulations

Title 42 published on 07-Jun-2018 03:52

The following are ALL rules, proposed rules, and notices (chronologically) published in the Federal Register relating to 42 CFR Part 422 after this date.

2018-06-15; vol. 83 # 116 - Friday, June 15, 2018

83 FR 27912 - Medicare Program; Medicare Program; Contract Year 2019 Policy and Technical Changes to the Medicare Advantage, Medicare Cost Plan, Medicare Fee-for-Service, the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Programs, and the PACE Program; Correction

GPO FDSys XML | Text

Additional Documents

type	regulations.gov
FR Doc.	2018-12843
RIN	0938-AT08
	CMS-4182-CN2

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Final rule; correction.

Effective Date: This correcting document is effective June 15, 2018.

42 CFR Parts 405, 417, 422, 423, 460, and 498

Summary

This document corrects technical and typographical errors that appeared in the final rule published in the Federal Register on April 16, 2018 titled “Medicare Program; Contract Year 2019 Policy and Technical Changes to the Medicare Advantage, Medicare Cost Plan, Medicare Fee-for-Service, the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Programs, and the PACE Program.”

2018-04-16; vol. 83 # 73 - Monday, April 16, 2018

83 FR 16440 - Medicare Program; Contract Year 2019 Policy and Technical Changes to the Medicare Advantage, Medicare Cost Plan, Medicare Fee-for-Service, the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Programs, and the PACE Program

GPO FDSys XML | Text

Additional Documents

type	regulations.gov
FR Doc.	2018-07179
RIN	0938-AT08
	CMS-4182-F

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Final rule.

Effective Date: This rule is effective June 15, 2018. The incorporation by reference of certain publications listed in the rule is approved by the Director of the Federal Register as of June 15, 2018. Applicability Dates: The applicability date of the provisions of this rule is January 1, 2019 except for the provisions in §§ 422.100(f)(4) and (5) and 422.101(d) (discussed in section II.A.4. of this final rule (Maximum Out-of-Pocket Limit for Medicare Parts A and B Services)) and § 422.100(f)(6) (discussed in section II.A.5. of this final rule (Cost Sharing Limits for Medicare Parts A and B Services)). Those provisions are applicable for contract year 2020 (January 1, 2020). E-Prescribing and the Part D Prescription Drug Program; Updating Part D E Prescribing Standards discussed in section II.D.8. of this final rule is applicable January 1, 2020 conditioned on The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) adopting the same standard for use in its Electronic Health Record Certification Program by that date.

42 CFR Parts 405, 417, 422, 423, 460, and 498

Summary

This final rule will revise the Medicare Advantage (MA) program (Part C) regulations and Prescription Drug Benefit program (Part D) regulations to implement certain provisions of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) to further reduce the number of beneficiaries who may potentially misuse or overdose on opioids while still having access to important treatment options; implement certain provisions of the 21st Century Cures Act; support innovative approaches to improve program quality, accessibility, and affordability; offer beneficiaries more choices and better care; improve the CMS customer experience and maintain high beneficiary satisfaction; address program integrity policies related to payments based on prescriber, provider and supplier status in MA, Medicare cost plan, Medicare Part D and the PACE programs; provide an update to the official Medicare Part D electronic prescribing standards; and clarify program requirements and certain technical changes regarding treatment of Medicare Part A and Part B appeal rights related to premiums adjustments.

2017-12-28; vol. 82 # 248 - Thursday, December 28, 2017

82 FR 61519 - Medicare Program Contract Year 2019 Policy and Technical Changes to the Medicare Advantage, Medicare Cost Plan, Medicare Fee-For-Service, the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Programs, and the PACE Program; Correction

GPO FDSys XML | Text

Additional Documents

type	regulations.gov
FR Doc.	2017-27943
RIN	0938-AT08
	CMS-4182-CN

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Proposed rule; correction.

42 CFR Parts 405, 417, 422, 423, 460, and 498

Summary

This document corrects technical and typographical errors in the proposed rule that appeared in the November 28, 2017 issue of the Federal Register titled “Medicare Program Contract Year 2019 Policy and Technical Changes to the Medicare Advantage, Medicare Cost Plan, Medicare Fee-For-Service, the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Programs, and the PACE Program”.

2017-11-28; vol. 82 # 227 - Tuesday, November 28, 2017

82 FR 56336 - Medicare Program; Contract Year 2019 Policy and Technical Changes to the Medicare Advantage, Medicare Cost Plan, Medicare Fee-for-Service, the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Programs, and the PACE Program

GPO FDSys XML | Text

Additional Documents

type	regulations.gov
FR Doc.	2017-25068
RIN	0938-AT08
	CMS-4182-P

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Proposed rule.

To be assured consideration, comments must be received at one of the addresses provided below, no later than 5 p.m. on January 16, 2018.

42 CFR Parts 405, 417, 422, 423, and 498

Summary

This proposed rule would revise the Medicare Advantage program (Part C) regulations and Prescription Drug Benefit program (Part D) regulations to implement certain provisions of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) and the 21st Century Cures Act; improve program quality, accessibility, and affordability; improve the CMS customer experience; address program integrity policies related to payments based on prescriber, provider and supplier status in Medicare Advantage, Medicare cost plan, Medicare Part D and the PACE programs; provide a proposed update to the official Medicare Part D electronic prescribing standards; and clarify program requirements and certain technical changes regarding treatment of Medicare Part A and Part B appeal rights related to premiums adjustments.

2017-03-22; vol. 82 # 54 - Wednesday, March 22, 2017

82 FR 14639 - Medicare Program; Revisions to Payment Policies Under the Physician Fee Schedule and Other Revisions to Part B for CY 2017; Medicare Advantage Bid Pricing Data Release; Medicare Advantage and Part D Medical Loss Ratio Data Release; Medicare Advantage Provider Network Requirements; Expansion of Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program Model; Medicare Shared Savings Program Requirements; Corrections

GPO FDSys XML | Text

Additional Documents

type	regulations.gov
FR Doc.	2017-05675
RIN	0938-AS81
	CMS-1654-CN4

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Final rule; correction.

This correcting document is effective March 21, 2017 and is applicable beginning January 1, 2017.

42 CFR Parts 405, 410, 411, 414, 417, 422, 423, 424, 425, and 460

Summary

This document corrects technical errors in the addenda to the final rule published in the November 15, 2016, Federal Register entitled, “Medicare Program; Revisions to Payment Policies under the Physician Fee Schedule and Other Revisions to Part B for CY 2017; Medicare Advantage Bid Pricing Data Release; Medicare Advantage and Part D Medical Loss Ratio Data Release; Medicare Advantage Provider Network Requirements; Expansion of Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program Model; Medicare Shared Savings Program Requirements.”

2017-01-17; vol. 82 # 10 - Tuesday, January 17, 2017

82 FR 4974 - Medicare Program: Changes to the Medicare Claims and Entitlement, Medicare Advantage Organization Determination, and Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage Determination Appeals Procedures

GPO FDSys XML | Text

Additional Documents

type	regulations.gov
FR Doc.	2016-32058
RIN	0991-AC02
	HHS-2016-79

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Final rule.

These regulations are effective on March 20, 2017.

42 CFR Parts 401, 405, 422, 423, and 478

Summary

This final rule revises the procedures that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) follows at the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) level for appeals of payment and coverage determinations for items and services furnished to Medicare beneficiaries, enrollees in Medicare Advantage (MA) and other Medicare competitive health plans, and enrollees in Medicare prescription drug plans, as well as appeals of Medicare beneficiary enrollment and entitlement determinations, and certain Medicare premium appeals. In addition, this final rule revises procedures that the Department of Health and Human Services follows at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Medicare Appeals Council (Council) levels of appeal for certain matters affecting the ALJ level.

2016-12-29; vol. 81 # 250 - Thursday, December 29, 2016

81 FR 95890 - Medicare Program; Revisions to Payment Policies Under the Physician Fee Schedule and Other Revisions to Part B for CY 2017; Medicare Advantage Bid Pricing Data Release; Medicare Advantage and Part D Medical Loss Ratio Data Release; Medicare Advantage Provider Network Requirements; Expansion of Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program Model; Medicare Shared Savings Program Requirements; Corrections

GPO FDSys XML | Text

Additional Documents

type	regulations.gov
FR Doc.	2016-31649
RIN	0938-AS81
	CMS-1654-CN3

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Final rule; correction.

This correcting document is effective January 1, 2017.

42 CFR Parts 405, 410, 411, 414, 417, 422, 423, 424, 425, and 460

Summary

This document corrects technical and typographical errors that appeared in the final rule published in the November 15, 2016 Federal Register (81 FR 80170). That rule is entitled, “Medicare Program; Revisions to Payment Policies under the Physician Fee Schedule and Other Revisions to Part B for CY 2017; Medicare Advantage Bid Pricing Data Release; Medicare Advantage and Part D Medical Loss Ratio Data Release; Medicare Advantage Provider Network Requirements; Expansion of Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program Model; Medicare Shared Savings Program Requirements.”

2016-11-18; vol. 81 # 223 - Friday, November 18, 2016

81 FR 81697 - Medicare Program; Revisions to Payment Policies Under the Physician Fee Schedule and Other Revisions to Part B for CY 2017; Medicare Advantage Bid Pricing Data Release; Medicare Advantage and Part D Medical Loss Ratio Data Release; Medicare Advantage Provider Network Requirements; Expansion of Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program Model; Medicare Shared Savings Program Requirements

GPO FDSys XML | Text

Additional Documents

type	regulations.gov
FR Doc.	2016-27733
RIN	0938-AS81
	CMS-1654-CN2

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Final rule; correction.

This correcting document is effective January 1, 2017.

42 CFR Parts 405, 410, 411, 414, 417, 422, 423, 424, 425, and 460

Summary

This document corrects technical errors in the final rule that was placed on public inspection at the Office of the Federal Register on November 2, 2016 and scheduled for publication in the Federal Register on November 15, 2016. That rule is entitled, “Medicare Program; Revisions to Payment Policies under the Physician Fee Schedule and Other Revisions to Part B for CY 2017; Medicare Advantage Bid Pricing Data Release; Medicare Advantage and Part D Medical Loss Ratio Data Release; Medicare Advantage Provider Network Requirements; Expansion of Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program Model; Medicare Shared Savings Program Requirements.”

2016-11-15; vol. 81 # 220 - Tuesday, November 15, 2016

81 FR 80170 - Medicare Program; Revisions to Payment Policies Under the Physician Fee Schedule and Other Revisions to Part B for CY 2017; Medicare Advantage Bid Pricing Data Release; Medicare Advantage and Part D Medical Loss Ratio Data Release; Medicare Advantage Provider Network Requirements; Expansion of Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program Model; Medicare Shared Savings Program Requirements

GPO FDSys XML | Text

Additional Documents

type	regulations.gov
FR Doc.	2016-26668
RIN	0938-AS81
	CMS-1654-F

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Final rule.

These regulations are effective on January 1, 2017.

42 CFR Parts 405, 410, 411, 414, 417, 422, 423, 424, 425, and 460

Summary

This major final rule addresses changes to the physician fee schedule and other Medicare Part B payment policies, such as changes to the Value Modifier, to ensure that our payment systems are updated to reflect changes in medical practice and the relative value of services, as well as changes in the statute. This final rule also includes changes related to the Medicare Shared Savings Program, requirements for Medicare Advantage Provider Networks, and provides for the release of certain pricing data from Medicare Advantage bids and of data from medical loss ratio reports submitted by Medicare health and drug plans. In addition, this final rule expands the Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program model.

2016-09-06; vol. 81 # 172 - Tuesday, September 6, 2016

81 FR 61538 - Adjustment of Civil Monetary Penalties for Inflation

GPO FDSys XML | Text

Additional Documents

type	regulations.gov
FR Doc.	2016-18680
RIN	0991-AC0

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Office of the Secretary, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of the Inspector General

Interim final rule.

This rule is effective on September 6, 2016.

42 CFR Part 3

Summary

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is issuing a new regulation to adjust for inflation the maximum civil monetary penalty amounts for the various civil monetary penalty authorities for all agencies within HHS. We are taking this action to comply with the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 1990 (the Inflation Adjustment Act), as amended by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015. In addition, this interim final rule includes updates to certain agency-specific regulations to identify their updated information, and note the location of HHS-wide regulations.

2016-08-10; vol. 81 # 154 - Wednesday, August 10, 2016

81 FR 52783 - Medicare Program; Revisions to Payment Policies Under the Physician Fee Schedule and Other Revisions to Part B for CY 2017; Medicare Advantage Pricing Data Release; Medicare Advantage and Part D Medical Low Ratio Data Release; Medicare Advantage Provider Network Requirements; Expansion of Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program Model; Correction

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Additional Documents

type	regulations.gov
FR Doc.	2016-19012
RIN	0938-AS81
	CMS-1654-CN

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Proposed rule; correction.

The proposed rule published July 15, 2016 (81 FR 46162-46476) is corrected as of August 9, 2016.

42 CFR Parts 405, 410, 411, 414, 417, 422, 423, 424, 425, and 460

Summary

This document corrects a technical error in the proposed rule that appeared in the July 15, 2016 Federal Register (81 FR 46162-46476) entitled, “Medicare Program; Revisions to Payment Policies under the Physician Fee Schedule and Other Revisions to Part B for CY 2017; Medicare Advantage Pricing Data Release; Medicare Advantage and Part D Medical Low Ratio Data Release; Medicare Advantage Provider Network Requirements; Expansion of Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program Model.”

2016-07-15; vol. 81 # 136 - Friday, July 15, 2016

81 FR 46162 - Medicare Program; Revisions to Payment Policies Under the Physician Fee Schedule and Other Revisions to Part B for CY 2017; Medicare Advantage Pricing Data Release; Medicare Advantage and Part D Medical Low Ratio Data Release; Medicare Advantage Provider Network Requirements; Expansion of Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program Model

GPO FDSys XML | Text

Additional Documents

type	regulations.gov
FR Doc.	2016-16097
RIN	0938-AS81
	CMS-1654-P

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Proposed rule.

To be assured consideration, comments must be received at one of the addresses provided below, no later than 5 p.m. on September 6, 2016.

42 CFR Parts 405, 410, 411, 414, 417, 422, 423, 424, 425, and 460

Summary

This major proposed rule addresses changes to the physician fee schedule and other Medicare Part B payment policies, such as changes to the Value Modifier, to ensure that our payment systems are updated to reflect changes in medical practice and the relative value of services, as well as changes in the statute. This proposed rule also includes proposals related to the Medicare Shared Saving Program, and the release of certain pricing data from Medicare Advantage bids and medical loss ratio reports from Medicare health and drug plans. In addition, this rule proposes to expand the Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program model.

2016-07-05; vol. 81 # 128 - Tuesday, July 5, 2016

81 FR 43790 - Medicare Program: Changes to the Medicare Claims and Entitlement, Medicare Advantage Organization Determination, and Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage Determination Appeals Procedures

GPO FDSys XML | Text

Additional Documents

type	regulations.gov
FR Doc.	2016-15192
RIN	0991-AC02
	HHS-2015-49

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Proposed rule.

To be assured consideration, comments must be received at one of the addresses provided below, no later than 5 p.m. eastern standard time (e.s.t.) on August 29, 2016.

42 CFR Parts 401, 405, 422, 423, and 478

Summary

This proposed rule would revise the procedures that the Department of Health and Human Services would follow at the Administrative Law Judge level for appeals of payment and coverage determinations for items and services furnished to Medicare beneficiaries, enrollees in Medicare Advantage and other Medicare competitive health plans, and enrollees in Medicare prescription drug plans, as well as appeals of Medicare beneficiary enrollment and entitlement determinations, and certain Medicare premium appeals. In addition, this proposed rule would revise procedures that the Department of Health and Human Services would follow at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Medicare Appeals Council (Council) levels of appeal for certain matters affecting the Administrative Law Judge level.

2015-02-24; vol. 80 # 36 - Tuesday, February 24, 2015

80 FR 9629 - Medicare and Medicaid Programs: Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment Systems and Quality Reporting Programs; Physician-Owned Hospitals: Data Sources for Expansion Exception; Physician Certification of Inpatient Hospital Services; Medicare Advantage Organizations and Part D Sponsors: CMS-Identified Overpayments Associated With Submitted Payment Data; Corrections

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Additional Documents

type	regulations.gov
FR Doc.	2015-03760
RIN	0938-AS15
	CMS-1613-CN

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Correction of final rule.

Effective Date: This document is effective February 24, 2015. Applicability Date: The corrections noted in this document and posted on the CMS Web site are applicable to payments for services furnished on or after January 1, 2015.

42 CFR Parts 411, 412, 416, 419, 422, 423, and 424

Summary

This document corrects technical errors that appeared in the final rule with comment period published in the Federal Register on November 10, 2014, entitled “Medicare and Medicaid Programs: Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment Systems and Quality Reporting Programs; Physician-Owned Hospitals: Data Sources for Expansion Exception; Physician Certification of Inpatient Hospital Services; Medicare Advantage Organizations and Part D Sponsors: CMS-Identified Overpayments Associated with Submitted Payment Data.”

2015-02-12; vol. 80 # 29 - Thursday, February 12, 2015

80 FR 7912 - Medicare Program; Contract Year 2016 Policy and Technical Changes to the Medicare Advantage and the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Programs

GPO FDSys XML | Text

Additional Documents

type	regulations.gov
FR Doc.	2015-02671
RIN	0938-AS20
	CMS-4159-F2

Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Final rule.

This rule is effective March 16, 2015, except amendments to § 423.154, which are effective January 1, 2016. Applicability Dates: Except as specified in Table 1, the applicability date of these provisions is January 1, 2016. In the Supplemental section of this final rule, we provide a table (Table 1) that lists changes in this final rule that have either an effective date other than March 16, 2015 or an applicability date other than January 1, 2016, for Contract Year 2016.

42 CFR Parts 417, 422, and 423

Summary

This final rule amends the Medicare Advantage (MA) program (Part C) regulations and Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Program (Part D) regulations to implement statutory requirements; improve program efficiencies; strengthen beneficiary protections; clarify program requirements; improve payment accuracy; and make various technical changes. Additionally, this rule finalizes two technical changes that reinstate previously approved but erroneously removed regulation text sections.

2014-11-10; vol. 79 # 217 - Monday, November 10, 2014

79 FR 66770 - Medicare and Medicaid Programs: Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment Systems and Quality Reporting Programs; Physician-Owned Hospitals: Data Sources for Expansion Exception; Physician Certification of Inpatient Hospital Services; Medicare Advantage Organizations and Part D Sponsors: CMS-Identified Overpayments Associated with Submitted Payment Data

GPO FDSys XML | Text

Additional Documents

type	regulations.gov
FR Doc.	2014-26146
RIN	0938-AS15
	CMS-1613-FC

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Final rule with comment period.

Effective Date: This final rule with comment period is effective on January 1, 2015. Comment Period: To be assured consideration, comments on the payment classifications assigned to HCPCS codes identified in Addenda B, AA, and BB to this final rule with comment period with the “NI” comment indicator, and on other areas specified throughout this final rule with comment period must be received at one of the addresses provided in the ADDRESSES section no later than 5 p.m. EST on December 30, 2014. Application Deadline—New Class of New Technology Intraocular Lenses: Requests for review of applications for a new class of new technology intraocular lenses must be received by 5 p.m. EST on March 2, 2015, at the following address: ASC/NTIOL, Division of Outpatient Care, Mailstop C4-05-17, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21244-1850.

42 CFR Parts 411, 412, 416, 419, 422, 423, and 424

Summary

This final rule with comment period revises the Medicare hospital outpatient prospective payment system (OPPS) and the Medicare ambulatory surgical center (ASC) payment system for CY 2015 to implement applicable statutory requirements and changes arising from our continuing experience with these systems. In this final rule with comment period, we describe the changes to the amounts and factors used to determine the payment rates for Medicare services paid under the OPPS and those paid under the ASC payment system. In addition, this final rule with comment period updates and refines the requirements for the Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting (OQR) Program and the ASC Quality Reporting (ASCQR) Program. In this document, we also are making changes to the data sources permitted for expansion requests for physician-owned hospitals under the physician self-referral regulations; changes to the underlying authority for the requirement of an admission order for all hospital inpatient admissions and changes to require physician certification for hospital inpatient admissions only for long-stay cases and outlier cases; and changes to establish a formal process, including a three-level appeals process, to recoup overpayments that result from the submission of erroneous payment data by Medicare Advantage (MA) organizations and Part D sponsors in the limited circumstances in which the organization or sponsor fails to correct these data.

2014-10-03; vol. 79 # 192 - Friday, October 3, 2014

79 FR 59675 - Medicare Program; Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems for Acute Care Hospitals and the Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System and Fiscal Year 2015 Rates; Quality Reporting Requirements for Specific Providers; Reasonable Compensation Equivalents for Physician Services in Excluded Hospitals and Certain Teaching Hospitals; Provider Administrative Appeals and Judicial Review; Enforcement Provisions for Organ Transplant Centers; and Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program; Correction

GPO FDSys XML | Text

Additional Documents

type	regulations.gov
FR Doc.	2014-23630
RIN	s 0938-AS11; 0938-AR12;; 0938-AR53
	CMS-1607-CN

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Final rule; correction.

Effective date: This document is effective October 1, 2014.

42 CFR Parts 405, 412, 413, 415, 422, 424, 485, and 488

Summary

This document corrects technical and typographical errors in the final rule that appeared in the August 22, 2014 Federal Register titled “Medicare Program; Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems for Acute Care Hospitals and the Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System and Fiscal Year 2015 Rates; Quality Reporting Requirements for Specific Providers; Reasonable Compensation Equivalents for Physician Services in Excluded Hospitals and Certain Teaching Hospitals; Provider Administrative Appeals and Judicial Review; Enforcement Provisions for Organ Transplant Centers; and Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program.”

2014-08-22; vol. 79 # 163 - Friday, August 22, 2014

79 FR 49854 - Medicare Program; Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems for Acute Care Hospitals and the Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System and Fiscal Year 2015 Rates; Quality Reporting Requirements for Specific Providers; Reasonable Compensation Equivalents for Physician Services in Excluded Hospitals and Certain Teaching Hospitals; Provider Administrative Appeals and Judicial Review; Enforcement Provisions for Organ Transplant Centers; and Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program

GPO FDSys XML | Text

Additional Documents

type	regulations.gov
FR Doc.	2014-18545
RIN	s 0938-AS11; 0938-AR12;; 0938-AR53
	CMS-1607-F and CMS-1599-F3

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Final rule.

Effective Date: These final rules are effective on October 1, 2014. Applicability Dates: The amendments to 42 CFR 405.1811 and 405.1835 are applicable to appeals based on untimely contractor determinations that are pending or were filed on or after August 21, 2008, subject to the rules of administrative finality and reopening at 42 CFR 405.1807 and 405.1885. The provisions discussed in section IV.I.4.c. of the preamble of this final rule are applicable on or after July 1, 2015; and the provisions discussed in section IV.I.5.a. of the preamble of this final rule are applicable on or after January 1, 2015.

42 CFR Parts 405, 412, 413, 415, 422, 424, 485, and 488

Summary

We are revising the Medicare hospital inpatient prospective payment systems (IPPS) for operating and capital-related costs of acute care hospitals to implement changes arising from our continuing experience with these systems. Some of these changes implement certain statutory provisions contained in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (collectively known as the Affordable Care Act), the Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014, and other legislation. These changes are applicable to discharges occurring on or after October 1, 2014, unless otherwise specified in this final rule. We also are updating the rate-of-increase limits for certain hospitals excluded from the IPPS that are paid on a reasonable cost basis subject to these limits. The updated rate-of-increase limits are effective for cost reporting periods beginning on or after October 1, 2014. We also are updating the payment policies and the annual payment rates for the Medicare prospective payment system (PPS) for inpatient hospital services provided by long-term care hospitals (LTCHs) and implementing certain statutory changes to the LTCH PPS under the Affordable Care Act and the Pathway for Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) Reform Act of 2013 and the Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014. In addition, we discuss our proposals on the interruption of stay policy for LTCHs and on retiring the “5 percent” payment adjustment for co-located LTCHs. While many of the statutory mandates of the Pathway for SGR Reform Act apply to discharges occurring on or after October 1, 2014, others will not begin to apply until 2016 and beyond. In addition, we are making a number of changes relating to direct graduate medical education (GME) and indirect medical education (IME) payments. We are establishing new requirements or revising requirements for quality reporting by specific providers (acute care hospitals, PPS-exempt cancer hospitals, and LTCHs) that are participating in Medicare. We are updating policies relating to the Hospital Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) Program, the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program, and the Hospital-Acquired Condition (HAC) Reduction Program. In addition, we are making technical corrections to the regulations governing provider administrative appeals and judicial review; updating the reasonable compensation equivalent (RCE) limits, and revising the methodology for determining such limits, for services furnished by physicians to certain teaching hospitals and hospitals excluded from the IPPS; making regulatory revisions to broaden the specified uses of Medicare Advantage (MA) risk adjustment data and to specify the conditions for release of such risk adjustment data to entities outside of CMS; and making changes to the enforcement procedures for organ transplant centers. We are aligning the reporting and submission timelines for clinical quality measures for the Medicare EHR Incentive Program for eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals (CAHs) with the reporting and submission timelines for the Hospital IQR Program. In addition, we provide guidance and clarification of certain policies for eligible hospitals and CAHs such as our policy for reporting zero denominators on clinical quality measures and our policy for case threshold exemptions. In this document, we are finalizing two interim final rules with comment period relating to criteria for disproportionate share hospital uncompensated care payments and extensions of temporary changes to the payment adjustment for low-volume hospitals and of the Medicare-Dependent, Small Rural Hospital (MDH) Program.

2014-07-14; vol. 79 # 134 - Monday, July 14, 2014

79 FR 40916 - Medicare and Medicaid Programs: Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment Systems and Quality Reporting Programs; Physician-Owned Hospitals: Data Sources for Expansion Exception; Physician Certification of Inpatient Hospital Services; Medicare Advantage Organizations and Part D Sponsors: Appeals Process for Overpayments Associated With Submitted Data

GPO FDSys XML | Text

Additional Documents

type	regulations.gov
FR Doc.	2014-15939
RIN	0938-AS15
	CMS-1613-P

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Proposed rule.

Comment Period: To be assured consideration, comments on all sections of this proposed rule must be received at one of the addresses provided in the ADDRESSES section no later than 5 p.m. EST on September 2, 2014.

42 CFR Parts 411, 412, 416, 419, 422, 423, and 424

Summary

This proposed rule would revise the Medicare hospital outpatient prospective payment system (OPPS) and the Medicare ambulatory surgical center (ASC) payment system for CY 2015 to implement applicable statutory requirements and changes arising from our continuing experience with these systems. In this proposed rule, we describe the proposed changes to the amounts and factors used to determine the payment rates for Medicare services paid under the OPPS and those paid under the ASC payment system. In addition, this proposed rule would update and refine the requirements for the Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting (OQR) Program and the ASC Quality Reporting (ASCQR) Program. In this document, we also are proposing changes to the data sources used for expansion requests for physician owned hospitals under the physician self-referral regulations; changes to the underlying authority for the requirement of an admission order for all hospital inpatient admissions and changes to require physician certification for hospital inpatient admissions only for long-stay cases and outlier cases; and changes to establish a three-level appeals process for Medicare Advantage (MA) organizations and Part D sponsors that would be applicable to CMS-identified overpayments associated with data submitted by these organizations and sponsors.

2014-05-23; vol. 79 # 100 - Friday, May 23, 2014

79 FR 29844 - Medicare Program; Contract Year 2015 Policy and Technical Changes to the Medicare Advantage and the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Programs

GPO FDSys XML | Text

Additional Documents

type	regulations.gov
FR Doc.	2014-11734
RIN	0938-AR37
	CMS-4159-F

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Final rule.

Effective Dates: These regulations are effective on July 22, 2014 except for the amendment in instruction 27 to § 423.100, the amendment in instruction 30 to § 423.501, and the amendment in instruction 34 to § 423.505, which are effective on January 1, 2016. Applicability Dates: In the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this final rule, we provide a table (Table 1) which lists key changes in this final rule that have an applicability date other than the effective date of this final rule.

42 CFR Parts 417, 422, 423, and 424

Summary

The final rule will revise the Medicare Advantage (MA) program (Part C) regulations and prescription drug benefit program (Part D) regulations to implement statutory requirements; improve program efficiencies; and clarify program requirements. The final rule also includes several provisions designed to improve payment accuracy.

2014-05-15; vol. 79 # 94 - Thursday, May 15, 2014

79 FR 27978 - Medicare Program; Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems for Acute Care Hospitals and the Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System and Proposed Fiscal Year 2015 Rates; Quality Reporting Requirements for Specific Providers; Reasonable Compensation Equivalents for Physician Services in Excluded Teaching Hospitals; Provider Administrative Appeals and Judicial Review; Enforcement Provisions for Organ Transplant Centers; and Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program

GPO FDSys XML | Text

Additional Documents

type	regulations.gov
FR Doc.	2014-10067
RIN
	CMS-1607-P

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Proposed rule.

Comment Period: To be assured consideration, comments must be received at one of the addresses provided below, no later than 5 p.m. EDT on June 30, 2014.

42 CFR Parts 405, 412, 413, 415, 422, 424, 485, and 488

Summary

We are proposing to revise the Medicare hospital inpatient prospective payment systems (IPPS) for operating and capital-related costs of acute care hospitals to implement changes arising from our continuing experience with these systems. Some of the proposed changes implement certain statutory provisions contained in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (collectively known as the Affordable Care Act), the Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014, and other legislation. These proposed changes would be applicable to discharges occurring on or after October 1, 2014, unless otherwise specified in this proposed rule. We also are proposing to update the rate-of-increase limits for certain hospitals excluded from the IPPS that are paid on a reasonable cost basis subject to these limits. The proposed updated rate-of-increase limits would be effective for cost reporting periods beginning on or after October 1, 2014. We also are proposing to update the payment policies and the annual payment rates for the Medicare prospective payment system (PPS) for inpatient hospital services provided by long-term care hospitals (LTCHs) and to implement certain statutory changes to the LTCH PPS under the Affordable Care Act and the Pathway for Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) Reform Act of 2013 and the Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014. In addition we are proposing to revise the interruption of stay policy for LTCHs and to retire the “5 percent” payment adjustment for co-located LTCHs. While many of the statutory mandates of the Pathway for SGR Reform Act will apply to discharges occurring on or after October 1, 2014, others will not begin to apply until 2016 and beyond. However, in light of the degree of forthcoming change, we discuss changes infra and request public feedback to inform our proposals for FY 2016 in this proposed rule as well. In addition, we are proposing to make a number of changes relating to direct graduate medical education (GME) and indirect medical education (IME) payments. We are proposing to establish new requirements or revise requirements for quality reporting by specific providers (acute care hospitals, PPS-exempt cancer hospitals, and LTCHs) that are participating in Medicare. We are proposing to update policies relating to the Hospital Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) Program, the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program, and the Hospital-Acquired Condition (HAC) Reduction Program. In addition, we are proposing changes to the regulations governing provider administrative appeals and judicial review relating to appropriate claims in provider cost reports; updates to the reasonable compensation equivalent (RCE) limits for services furnished by physicians to teaching hospitals excluded from the IPPS; regulatory revisions to broaden the specified uses of risk adjustment data and to specify the conditions for release of risk adjustment data to entities outside of CMS; and changes to the enforcement procedures for organ transplant centers. We are proposing to align the reporting and submission timelines for clinical quality measures for the Medicare EHR Incentive Program for eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals (CAHs) with the reporting and submission timelines for the Hospital IQR Program. In addition, we provide guidance and clarification of certain policies for eligible hospitals and CAHs such as our policy for reporting zero denominators on clinical quality measures and our policy for case threshold exemptions.

2014-01-10; vol. 79 # 7 - Friday, January 10, 2014

79 FR 1918 - Medicare Program; Contract Year 2015 Policy and Technical Changes to the Medicare Advantage and the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Programs

GPO FDSys XML | Text

Additional Documents

type	regulations.gov
FR Doc.	2013-31497
RIN	0938-AR37
	CMS-4159-P

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Proposed rule.

To be assured consideration, comments must be received at one of the addresses provided below, no later than 5 p.m. on March 7, 2014.

42 CFR Parts 409, 417, 422, 423, and 424

Summary

The proposed rule would revise the Medicare Advantage (MA) program (Part C) regulations and prescription drug benefit program (Part D) regulations to implement statutory requirements; strengthen beneficiary protections; exclude plans that perform poorly; improve program efficiencies; and clarify program requirements. The proposed rule also includes several provisions designed to improve payment accuracy.

2013-07-22; vol. 78 # 140 - Monday, July 22, 2013

78 FR 43820 - Medicare Program; Medical Loss Ratio Requirements for the Medicare Advantage and the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Programs; Correction

GPO FDSys XML | Text

Additional Documents

type	regulations.gov
FR Doc.	2013-17544
RIN	0938-AR69
	CMS-4173-CN

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Final rule; correction.

This correction document is effective on July 22, 2013.

42 CFR Parts 422 and 423

Summary

This document corrects technical, typographical, and cross-referencing errors in the final rule that appeared in the May 23, 2013 Federal Register titled “Medicare Program; Medical Loss Ratio Requirements for the Medicare Advantage and the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Programs.”

2013-05-23; vol. 78 # 100 - Thursday, May 23, 2013

78 FR 31284 - Medicare Program; Medical Loss Ratio Requirements for the Medicare Advantage and the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Programs

GPO FDSys XML | Text

Additional Documents

type	regulations.gov
FR Doc.	2013-12156
RIN	0938-AR69
	CMS-4173-F

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Final rule.

These regulations are effective on July 22, 2013.

42 CFR Parts 422 and 423

Summary

This final rule implements new medical loss ratio (MLR) requirements for the Medicare Advantage Program and the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Program established under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

2013-02-22; vol. 78 # 36 - Friday, February 22, 2013

78 FR 12428 - Medicare Program; Medical Loss Ratio Requirements for the Medicare Advantage and the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Programs

GPO FDSys XML | Text

Additional Documents

type	regulations.gov
FR Doc.	2013-03921
RIN	0938-AR69
	CMS-4173-P

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Proposed rule.

To be assured consideration, comments must be received at one of the addresses provided below, no later than 5 p.m. EST on April 16, 2013.

42 CFR Parts 422 and 423

Summary

This proposed rule would implement medical loss ratio (MLR) requirements for the Medicare Advantage Program and the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Program under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

2012-06-01; vol. 77 # 106 - Friday, June 1, 2012

77 FR 32407 - Medicare Program; Changes to the Medicare Advantage and the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Programs for Contract Year 2013 and Other Changes; Corrections

GPO FDSys XML | Text

Additional Documents

type	regulations.gov
FR Doc.	2012-13362
RIN	0938-AQ86
	CMS-4157-CN

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Final rule with comment period; correction.

Effective date: This document is effective June 1, 2012.

42 CFR Parts 417, 422, and 423

Summary

This document corrects technical errors and typographical errors in the final rule with comment period entitled “Medicare Program; Changes to the Medicare Advantage and the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Programs for Contract Year 2013 and Other Changes” which appeared in the April 12, 2012 Federal Register .

2012-04-12; vol. 77 # 71 - Thursday, April 12, 2012

77 FR 22072 - Medicare Program; Changes to the Medicare Advantage and the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Programs for Contract Year 2013 and Other Changes

GPO FDSys XML | Text

Additional Documents

type	regulations.gov
FR Doc.	2012-8071
RIN	0938-AQ86
	CMS-4157-FC

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Final rule with comment period.

Effective dates: These regulations are effective on June 1, 2012 unless otherwise specified in section I.B. of this final rule with comment period (see Table 1). Amendments to the definitions of “other health or prescription drug coverage” at § 423.2305 and “supplemental benefits” at § 423.100 are effective January 1, 2013. Comment date: We will only consider public comments on the issues specified in section II.B.5 of this final rule with comment period, Independence of LTC Consultant Pharmacists, if we receive them at one of the addresses specified in the ADDRESSES section of this final rule with comment period, on June 11, 2012. Applicability dates: In section I.B. of the preamble of this final rule with comment period, we provide a table (Table 1) which lists revisions that have an applicability date other than the effective date of this final rule with comment period.

42 CFR Parts 417, 422, and 423

Summary

This final rule with comment period revises the Medicare Advantage (MA) program (Part C) regulations and prescription drug benefit program (Part D) regulations to implement new statutory requirements; strengthen beneficiary protections; exclude plan participants that perform poorly; improve program efficiencies; and clarify program requirements. It also responds to public comments regarding the long-term care facility conditions of participation pertaining to pharmacy services.

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