Regulators react to debate over narrow networks

On April 4, CMS published its annual Call Letter for the Medicare Advantage and Part D programs. In it, the agency put the managed care industry on notice, stating: “Data gathered by CMS, as well as continued stakeholder concerns, has intensified our concerns with provider directory accuracy. We will continue to aggressively identify and pursue instances of non-compliance by using a host of oversight methods.”

CMS goes on to discuss its intention to fine and impose enrollment sanctions on Medicare Advantage plans with substantial errors in their reported provider networks. The language is, of itself, newsworthy: In its final year, the Obama administration will use waning resources to go after managed care plans for a decades-old problem—provider network inaccuracies.