Consultant Corner: Importance of Accurate Member Marketing Materials

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Annual bid process and timeline is one constant plan Sponsors can rely on. After months of preparation, plans cannot wait until the first Monday in June to celebrate a successful bid submission thanks to the hard work and efforts of internal teams, with the help of outside consultants. Submission of the bid, however, kicks off the first stage of the next important process of member material creation. Plans must ensure members have materials regarding plan changes and potential impacts prior to the Annual Election Period. CMS has recently clarified the definition of marketing, putting pressure on plans for added oversight of materials this requiring submission. Pair that with the changes to the HPMS system and the bid submission process, plans must have a clear creation and review process to avoid any unintended consequences in the benefit expression and output of bid details.

BluePeak has developed a Material Review and Submission Checklist to assist plans with required elements and corresponding regulatory references to ensure successful submission of materials by life cycle, media type, and whether or not the materials follow a model. The detailed checklist includes requirements from CMS to validate in your materials to ensure compliance. BluePeak has even gone one step further, including an attestation and decision of denied/approved prior to filing with CMS for your team to have documented evidence of material review and oversight.