Tip of the Day: New Part D subsidy resources available

I know you have your hands full to overflowing in dealing with the COBRA subsidy, but I wanted to let you know the government is providing extra resources on another important subsidy for benefit pros: the Medicare Part D subsidy.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has released new resources for employers applying for the Part D retiree drug subsidy (RDS). CMS' new RDS User Guide includes information from many how-to documents on its Web site., along with FAQs addressing how to correct submitted drug costs, payment requests or retiree lists after an application has completed reconciliation.

Tip of the Day: Get ready to issue creditable coverage notices

Although we're just a few days into '09, you know how fast time flies -- March will be here before you know it. Keeping that in mind, I -- and the folks at Buck Consultants -- want to remind you that group health plan sponsors that provide prescription drug coverage to Medicare Part D eligible individuals must annually disclose to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services whether such coverage qualifies as creditable or non-creditable prescription drug coverage.

All plan sponsors that provide prescription drug coverage are required to make this disclosure, even if they do not make coverage available to retirees. Calendar year plans must submit the disclosure to CMS by March 1.

I'm curious. When it comes to meeting such regulatory requirements, are you generally an 11th-hour scrambler or an early bird that gathers no moss? Comment below and let us know.

Tip of the Day: Get those SSNs to CMS

Effective Jan. 1, employers will be required to submit to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Social Security numbers for covered workers and dependents to comply with a new federal mandate. You've been hearing about this for months, but if you're like us, there's no time like the last minute! Your health insurance carrier likely has already buzzed you about collecting the information.

Among the 411 you'll need to provide:
Tax ID number
Total number of full-time and part-time employees (even those not enrolled in your health plan)
Social Security Number (SSN) for employees and dependents enrolling in new plans as of Jan. 1, and for all plan members by Jan. 1, 2010

Got questions? Click here for a document that should help. If it doesn't, there's still stime to contact CMS. Click here to submit a question.