News: CMS releases CY 2026 final rule on MA policy, technical changes
CMS has released its final rule on policy and technical changes to Medicare Advantage (MA), the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Program, Medicare Cost Plan Program, and Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly for 2026, according to the American Hospital Association (AHA).
According to a CMS memo, the final rule policy includes:
- New requirements that will “increase beneficiaries’ access to provider directory information” while searching for MA plans in the Medicare plan finder (MPF) tool.
- New stipulations requiring “MA organizations to attest to the accuracy of the provider directory.”
Additionally, “[i]f an MA plan becomes aware of a data change,” the AHA noted, “the MA plan must submit updated data to CMS 30 days from the date the plan became aware of the change. MA plans will have to attest annually to the accuracy of provider directory data.”
The memo also states that an operational guide will soon be released following the release of the final rule.
According to CMS, the operational guide will include “technical specifications on how MA plans will prepare the provider directory data for the purpose of meeting these requirements,” as well as “the timing of various milestones, including when MA plans will begin making their provider directory data available to CMS.”
Editor’s note: To read the CMS final rule, click here. To read the AHA news release, click here. To read the CMS memo, click here.