On April 2nd, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued a final rule that will implement significant regulatory changes for Medicare Advantage (MA) and Prescription Drug Benefit (Part D) plans, beginning in contract year 2019.
The rule generally eases reporting requirements, updates the Medicare Star Rating methodology, removes the meaningful difference requirement, redefines marketing materials, and addresses drug management. CMS estimates that the rule will result in $295 million in net savings per year for Medicare between 2019 and 2023. Selected major provisions are described in the attached summary.
The full rule is available here.