Submit Notice of Intent to Apply (NOIA) Now
Each year, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) accepts applications from new plan sponsors, as well as existing Medicare Advantage-Prescription Drug (MA-PD) and Prescription Drug Plan (PDP) organizations to expand their current service area or service offering. The process officially kicks off in November, when the NOIA submissions are due to ensure HPMS access. NOIAs can be submitted through January 26, 2018; however, access to HPMS is not guaranteed for submissions after November.
Applications will be posted on the CMS website January 9, 2018, according to an October 13, 2017 Health Plan Management System (HPMS) memo. Plans will need to have dedicated resources to review the application and finalize the submission in HPMS. Keep in mind, the closer you get to the February 14, 2018 due date the heavier the traffic will be on HPMS which could impact HPMS availability and performance.
While the application submittal itself is very technical and will require attention to detail in creating crosswalks and document uploads, there is an underlying operational component as well. The application submission is your plan’s roadmap as to how your plan will run and operate, therefore you will want to thoroughly think through how you will execute on the operational components you are attesting to in the application.
If you are submitting a new application or expanding your service area, or trying to determine where you may need a service area reduction, BluePeak can help. The BluePeak team has supported numerous successful applications, Service Area Expansion and Reductions. We understand what is needed and what CMS’ expectations are with the new regulations and guidance.
Also, be sure to see BluePeak’s feature on the removal of HSD tables from the 2019 application and its impact for MA-PDs.
