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We are very happy to have you with us today, Ms. Block, and we would be pleased to obtain your testimony. STATEMENT OF ABBY L. BLOCK, DIRECTOR, FACILITY FOR RECIPIENT OPTIONS, CENTERS FOR MEDICARE AND ALSO MEDICAID SOLUTIONS (CMS), BALTIMORE, MD Ms. Block. Thank you for welcoming me to talk about Medicare Benefit and, in specific, advertising and marketing compliance.

Functioning closely with Congress, we have actually improved Medicare Advantage throughout the years to advertise solid strategy participation across the nation (Medigap Agent Near me). With a vivid marketplace of prepare for 2007, beneficiary enrollment is currently at an all-time high. I am proud of these successes as well as stand devoted to function with you in the days ahead to preserve choice for people with Medicare.

Such fringe benefits differ by strategy, yet can include: lower cost-sharing, boosted Part D prescription medication insurance coverage, Component B and also D costs reductions; as well as, accessibility to products as well as solutions like hearing help, routine physicals or vision examinations that original Medicare does not cover. No matter the programs' successes, CMS takes recent reports of aggressive advertising of some items really seriously.

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I wish to talk today concerning a few of the manner ins which CMS is building on lessons discovered and info gathered throughout 2006. CMS enforcement for advertising infractions varies from providing a caution letter or restorative activity plan to putting on hold enrollment and also also, inevitably, terminating a strategy from the program (Medigap Agent Near me). This year alone, we have fined strategies much more than $400,000 in civil monetary charges for failing to give info to recipients in a timely way.

Our experience reveals that, from time to time, exclusive fee-for- service strategies have actually not been clear about what they use our beneficiaries as well as what they do not provide. For 2008, we will need strategies to consist of specific, unambiguous language in all advertising products, registration products and also sales presentations laying out what a beneficiary can expect if he or she signs up for a strategy, and call all new applicants to verify that they do, in reality, recognize the features of the strategy and also dream to enroll.

Our utmost concern is to aid as well as safeguard the beneficiary. As a result, recipients as well as enrollees deceive by a plan are given a possibility to switch to another plan. Additionally, during the very first quarter of every year, all enrollees already have the opportunity to switch over out of personal fee-for-service plans or any kind of various other MA prepare for any type of reason and select an additional choice.

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CMS deals with offenses of our advertising standards. Concerns including fraud as well as misuse most likely to the medics, our program stability contractors. Accusations of fraudulent advertising and marketing and enrollment most likely to the OIG. States deal with problems concerning certified representatives as well as brokers. CMS is taking several actions to identify companies in demand of compliance intervention, consisting of tracking issues by conducting secret buyings of sales occasions throughout the nation.

Specifically, CMS functions cooperatively with the National Association of Insurance Policy Commissioners and also State departments of insurance coverage to establish a design compliance and also enforcement Memorandum of Understanding. Until check my source now, 20 States and also Puerto Rico have actually signed the MOU that will allow us to share info regarding non-compliant advertising tasks. CMS intends to issue soon a recommended policy that will assist in oversight for Medicare Advantage plans and also Component D prescription drug strategies.

We are holding strategies responsible for the activities of both used and independent representatives selling their products. I desire to assure check it out you that the huge bulk of senior citizens that purchased Medicare Advantage products are pleased with their plans and also the solutions they are obtaining.

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Thank you once again for the chance to speak to you today. I eagerly anticipate answering your inquiries. The Chairman. Thanks, Ms. Block. Before we reach concerns for you, we want to speak with our Position Participant, Senator Smith, along with Legislator Whitehouse. Legislator Smith. Thanks, Legislator Kohl, for calling this crucial hearing on a really vital issue.

We thank you for your extravagance and also your time. I desire to make a difference, which I really hope folks who are interested will comprehend.

These points have to be routed out. All stakeholders that want to see this program proceed need to understand that, if left untreated, this will threaten confidence in the program. Having said that, I wish to explain my belief that Medicare Advantage and also Medicare Part D are not bad just because they are exclusive shipment systems.

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They can work much better. To all that have an interest in the continued success of these programs, it comes to each of us separately to do all that we can to repair the troubles and also to fix them quick. What I did when I was Chairman and also currently, as Position Member-- as well as I share the Chairman's issue-- what I began to do in the 109th Congress is to supply oversight.

It requires to transform. We will certainly proceed that oversight with the view, at least, from my view, to protecting as well as enhancing these programs that do so much good, aid so several people, specifically, in country locations. So web any type of company with an interest in either prescription drugs or Medicare Benefit: Jump on top of this as well as hop on top of it quickly.

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