US legislation headache for Medicare plans

The Democratic-controlled US Congress' over-ride of President George W Bush's veto of HR6331 has created compliance difficulties for Medicare Advantage and Part D prescription drug plans. With a deadline of August 30 to file operational riders, plans and notifications with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the imposition of new regulations has caused a rush to amend marketing materials and customer relationship management systems.

The health care and drug plan providers are limited to a four-and-a-half-month window of opportunity to promote their products to potential customers. According to MedicareCRM, a firm which has clients in the top 10 Medicare Advantage plans in the USA, firms need to be aware that, despite a formal 2011 deadline for meeting the new restrictions, the CMS has indicated it will monitor and publicize cases where firms do not comply in the near future.