Standard for Establishing Regional Low-Income Benchmarks for 2009
Article Abstract
CMS has promulgated a regulation changing the way regional low-income benchmarks are established, beginning in Part D plan year 2009. CMS believes the new standard will reduce the number of Extra Help beneficiaries who will need to be re-assigned to new plans for 2009 in order to avoid exposing them to plan premium liability.
In This Article:
New Regulation and CMS Press Release
The Regulation and CMS Press Release
Here is the newly promulgated regulation published on April 3, 2008. This regulation is effective on May 31, 2008. In calculating the regional low-income benchmarks for 2009, plan premiums will be weighted by the number of Extra Help beneficiaries in each plan. Up until now, the calculations have been weighted by the relative numbers of all Medicare beneficiaries in each plan.
CMS Press Release About the New Standard for Determining the Regional Low-Income Benchmarks