CMS Medicare-Medicaid Coordination Office (MMCO) September Announcements

 

Updates The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Medicare-Medicaid Coordination Office (MMCO) is pleased to announce: Training Opportunity: Engaging Members in Plan Governance During COVID-19: A Panel Discussion Release of State Payment of Medicare Premiums Manual   Training Opportunity Webinar: Engaging Members in Plan Governance During COVID-19: A Panel Discussion Date/Time: Thursday, September 17, 12:30-1:45 pm ET Registration Link: https://www.resourcesforintegratedcare.com/Member_Engagement/2020_Webinar/Plan_Governance_During_COVID-19_Panel_Discussion Health plans are facing additional challenges to effective member engagement in plan governance due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its associated physical distancing protocols. However, the current environment also presents opportunities to re-examine meeting structures, implement creative engagement strategies, and recruit new members. This panel discussion will offer promising practices for staying connected to member advisors and supporting their continued involvement during COVID-19. Featured speakers: Robyn Rohr, Senior Insight Manager, CareSource Mary Harmon, Member, CareSource Natalie Wang, Project Manager, SCAN Health Plan Monica Gossett, Community Outreach Manager, UCare Intended Audience: This panel discussion is intended for staff of Medicare-Medicaid plans (MMPs), dual eligible special needs plans (D-SNPs), and PACE organizations who are interested in engaging members in plan governance through member advisory committees or other strategies.   Release of State Payment of Medicare Premiums Manual On September 8, CMS released the updated Manual for State Payment of Medicare Premiums (formerly called “State Buy-in Manual”). The manual updates information and instructions to states on federal policy, operations, and systems concerning the payment of Medicare Parts A and B premiums (or buy-in) for individuals dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid. The update to the manual is part of CMS’ Better Care for Dually Eligible Individuals Strategic Initiative aimed at improving quality, reducing costs, and improving customer experiences. States pay Medicare Part B premiums each month for over 10 million individuals and Part A premiums for over 700,000 individuals. This process promotes access to Medicare coverage for low-income older adults and people with disabilities, and it helps states ensure that Medicare is the first and primary payer for Medicare covered services for dually eligible beneficiaries. The prior version of this manual had not been fully updated since the 1990s. The new manual released today clarifies various provisions of statute, regulation, and operations that have evolved over time. We also redesigned the manual content to make it (1) easier for states to discern federal requirements and find information, (2) compliant with federal accessibility standards and (3) available online for the first time. The new manual also addresses multiple comments from states and other partners on the draft released in December 2019. The manual is available at: https://www.cms.gov/medicare-medicaid-coordination/medicare-medicaid-coordination-office/state-payment-medicare-premiums. We will be posting on this site various opportunities for training and technical assistance for our state and other partners.