April 15, 2010

Medicare Program; Policy & Technical Changes to the Medicare Advantage & the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Programs; Final Rule

This report, published by Department of Health and Human Services: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, outlines the final rule with revisions to the regulations governing the Medicare Advantage (MA) program (Part C) and prescription drug benefit program (Part D). The revisions strengthen program participation and exit requirements; strengthen beneficiary protections; ensure that plan offerings to beneficiaries include meaningful differences; improve plan payment rules and processes; improve data collection for oversight and quality assessment, implement new policies and clarify existing program policy. The majority of this report is in comment/response format.