CMS Collecting Comments on Medicare Advantage and Part C and D Payment Policies

In early February, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the Calendar Year (CY) 2023 Advance Notice of Methodological Changes for Medicare Advantage (MA) Capitation Rates and Part C and Part D Payment Policies (the Advance Notice). The 30-day comment period closes on Fri., March 4, 2022. The final Rate Announcement will be published by April 4, 2022.

CMS is requesting input on a potential change to the MA and Part D Star Ratings that would take into account how well each plan advances health equity. CMS is also requesting comment on including a quality measure in MA and Part D Star Ratings that would specifically assess how often plans are screening for common health-related social needs, such as food insecurity, housing insecurity, and transportation problems.

Additionally, CMS is requesting input on considerations for assessing the impact of using sub-state geographic levels of rate setting for enrollees with end stage renal disease, particularly input regarding the impact of MA payment on care provided to rural and urban underserved populations and how such payment changes may impact health equity.

Other areas that CMS is soliciting input on include a variety of payment updates; a new measure concept to assess whether and how MA plans are transforming care by engaging in value-based models with providers; and updates to risk adjustment models to continue to pay appropriately for the people enrolled in MA and Part D plans.

To submit comments or questions electronically, go to www.regulations.gov, enter docket number “CMS-2022-0021” in the “search” field, and follow the instructions for ‘‘submitting a comment.’’

A fact sheet on the 2023 Advance Notice is available here. To view the 2023 Advance Notice, click here and select 2023. 

Contact: Darius Kirstein, dkirstein@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8841