News Briefs: CMS Issues Sweeping MA, Part D Rule Cracking Down on Marketing, Utilization Management

Dec 15
Dec 15, 2022

In a sweeping proposed rule issued Dec. 14, CMS addresses a variety of hot-button aspects of the Medicare Advantage and Part D programs, including Medicare marketing, prior authorization and overpayments. The 957-page proposed rule, scheduled for publication in the Dec. 27 Federal Register, seeks to protect MA and Part D enrollees from misleading marketing by banning the use of television advertisements that “do not mention a specific plan name as well as ads that use words and imagery, such as the Medicare name or logo, that may confuse beneficiaries in a way that is misleading, confusing, or misrepresents the plan,” according to a fact sheet. It also proposes to adopt the False Claims Act definition of “knowing” and “knowingly” regarding when an MA or Part D sponsor identifies an overpayment, thereby removing the “reasonable diligence” standard. In addition, CMS proposes new requirements to ensure continuity of care, such as requiring that an approved prior authorization remain in place for a beneficiary’s full course of treatment and that all MA plans annually review their utilization management policies to maintain consistency with traditional Medicare’s coverage guidelines. Read more
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Lauren Flynn Kelly

Lauren has been covering health business issues since the early 2000s and specializes in in-depth reporting on Medicare Advantage, managed Medicaid and Medicare Part D. She also possesses a deep understanding of the complex world of pharmacy benefit management, having written AIS Health’s Radar on Drug Benefits from 2004 to 2005 and again from 2011 to 2016. In addition to her role as managing editor of Radar on Medicare Advantage, she oversees AIS Health’s publications and manages the health editorial staff. She graduated from Vassar College with a B.A. in English.