Medicare Regulations Comments Project

To view the most recent version of the draft comments on Part 423 (prescription drugs), click the links below:

• Introductory comments, overarching concerns
• Subpart B—Eligibility and Enrollment (Updated as of Wednesday, 9/29/04 at noon)
• Subpart C—Benefits and Beneficiary Protections
• Subpart D—Cost Control and Quality
• Subpart F—Submission of Bids and Monthly Beneficiary Premiums; Plan Approval
• Subpart J—Coordination under Part D with Other Prescription Drug Coverage
• Subpart K—Application Procedures and Contracts with PDP Sponsors
• Subpart M—Grievances, Coverage Determinations, and Appeals
• Subpart P—Premium and Cost-Sharing Subsidies for Low-Income Individuals
• Subpart Q—Guaranteeing Access to a Choice of Coverage (Fallback Plans)
• Subpart R—Payments to Sponsors of Retiree Prescription Drug Plans
• Subpart S—Special Rules for States—Eligibility Determinations for Subsidies and General Payment Provisions
• Subpart T—Changes To Parts 403, 411, 417, 460, and 442
  

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has published proposed regulations for the new prescription drug benefit and HMO changes required under the new Medicare law. These regulations—which are around 2,000 pages long—spell out crucial details about how the new law will operate. CMS is accepting comments on these regulations from the public and has set a deadline of Monday, October 4, 2004 for receipt of these comments. Click here to view the proposed regulations.

Advocacy groups that work on Medicare and/or Medicaid should make sure that their voices are heard in this process—CMS needs to hear from as many consumer groups as possible.

A number of national organizations—click here for the list—have been coordinating the process of responding to these regulations. The goal is to develop comprehensive comments that cover the full range of issues, from A to Z. Click here for a list of key issues to be addressed.

The draft comments under development by this group will be posted and updated regularly as changes are made.

State and local advocates, as well as other national organizations, are invited to participate in this process. There are two ways you can play a role:

(1) Join the National Process: You can participate in the development of this coordinated national response to the regulations by:

1. Submitting your own suggestions for consideration
2. Getting your organization to sign on to the completed comments (see below to find out how)
   
   If you want to join the national process, please review the latest draft of comments and send any suggestions for additions, deletions, or edits to Chervonne Colon at ccolon@familiesusa.org with "Comments on Medicare Regulations" as your subject line. (If you copy the draft onto your computer and make your edits directly onto it before sending it back to us, be sure to highlight your changes in color or find some other way to show us what you've changed!)
   
   If your organization wants to sign onto the final comments document, there are two ways to do so: 1) click here to fill out a short survey or 2) send an e-mail to Daniel Tyre-Karp at dtyre-karp@familiesusa.org with "Medicare Comments Sign-On" in the subject line. Be sure to indicate that you want to sign on, let us know how your organization must be listed, and make sure we have your contact information in case there are any questions. The group letter will be released to the press.

(2) Submit Your Own Comments: Whether or not you participate in the coordinated national response, we encourage you to submit comments on behalf of your own organization or to at least send a letter that will be received by the October 4 deadline. Click here to send your comments electronically. If you'd like to send your comments by mail, the address is listed in the regulations document. Feel free to copy and use any sections of the coordinated national comments that you find useful; simply add reinforcing statements or local examples of their importance, etc.

Remember, the deadline for receiving comments is close of business on Monday, October 4, 2004.

If you have any questions, contact Dee Mahan at dmahan@familiesusa.org.