Could MA-Focused Request for Information Foreshadow Sweeping Program Changes?

Signaling what some say is an unusual move, CMS late last month released a request for information (RFI) in which it encouraged a variety of stakeholders to submit responses to questions related to nearly every aspect of the Medicare Advantage program, from supplemental benefits and social determinants of health to risk adjustment and other payment-related policies. And while that could mean CMS is looking to change multiple aspects of the program, industry experts say the agency is asking the right questions and are encouraged that it signals a willingness to understand the potential impact of program changes on MA organizations.  

Although previous administrations have issued more general RFIs on Medicare and the Biden administration in February released an RFI on Medicaid and CHIP coverage and access, Avalere Senior Consultant Tom Kornfield says he can’t recall seeing one that was so explicitly focused on MA. When asked whether he thinks the request was prompted by a recent hearing on Capitol Hill regarding MA oversight and beneficiary access, Kornfield suggests it’s more likely that CMS is seeking information as it works on a proposed MA and Part D rule that would come out in the fall and contain policies for plan year 2024. “They could be using this opportunity to collect information that could then help them determine what types of policies to put into that proposed rule,” he tells AIS Health, a division of MMIT. And the RFI could generate a lot of feedback, he says.