HEALTH PLANS:
How To Stay In The Program In 2006
Published on Mon Jan 03, 2005
Interested plans need to jump several administrative hurdles, and time is running out.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently announced several deadlines for current Medicare plans that want to transition into Medicare Advantage in 2006, when the program is revamped to include a prescription drug benefit.
Plans will need to submit the following information to Medicare: a signed attestation that the plan will transition to the 2006 requirements, due on March 10, 2005; a Medicare prescription drug plan application, if the health plan is also planning on offering a prescription drug plan, which is due by "mid-March, 2005"; and a Medicare Advantage PDP bid submission, due June 6, 2005.
For more information, go to
www.cms.hhs.gov/healthplans/maapplications/matmemo1222.pdf.