February 23, 2007
CMS Creditable Coverage Notification Deadline of March 1, 2007
Group health plans that provide prescription drug coverage to Medicare eligible individuals must disclose each year to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) whether that coverage is creditable or non-creditable prescription drug coverage. To be creditable, the coverage must be at least as good as standard Medicare Part D Prescription Drug coverage.
How to Report. The creditable coverage disclosure to CMS must be made via an electronic disclosure form at this link: https://www.cms.hhs.gov/apps/ccdisclosure/default.asp
The electronic form is the only available way to disclose to CMS the creditable coverage information. The group health plan must provide a number of pieces of information to complete the form, including, but not limited to, creditable coverage status, number of Medicare Part D eligible individuals expected to be covered under the plan as of the beginning of the plan year, and the date on which the plan provided the required creditable coverage disclosure to Part D eligible individuals.
Deadline. Generally, the notice must be provided on an annual basis within 60 days after the beginning of the plan year. Notice is also required if the plan is terminated or if the creditable coverage status of the plan changes. Even if you filed a creditable coverage notice last year, you must still file again this year.
Caution: The disclosure must be made by March 1, 2007 for calendar year plans with plan years beginning January 1, 2007.
If you have any questions regarding this disclosure to CMS, please contact us.