Senior Issues (B) Task Force
September 30, 2007
The Senior Issues (B) Task Force met on Sunday, September 30, 2007.
During this meeting, the Senior Issues Task Force:
- Adopted the 2008 charges.
- Received an update on the joint Market Analysis Working Group and Senior Issues Task Force data call.
- Received an update on the Senior Issues Task Force survey on the application of state claims payment, internal appeals and external review laws to long-term care insurance.
- Received an update from Hunter McKay with the United States Department of Health and Human Services on the implementation of the long-term care Partnership Program.
- Discussed beginning to update “A Shoppers Guide to Long-Term Care Insurance.”
- Received an update from the Medigap Modernization Subgroup, including the status of pending federal legislation which would authorize the implementation of changes to the Medigap Model Regulation as approved by the NAIC plenary in March 2007.
- Adopted and sent to the Life and Health Actuarial Task Force’s Accident & Health Working Group guidance on Medigap new or innovative benefits for inclusion in the Medicare Supplement Compliance Manual.
- Received an update from Abby Block with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on implementation of an information-sharing Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between state Departments of Insurance and CMS. States and regional offices have begun sharing information manually, and CMS is working to automate their systems as well as give states access to their plan management database.
- Received an update from the Medicare Private Plans Subgroup on recent activities, including a recent public hearing on the regulation of these plans and working sessions. The Subgroup will continue development of a white paper with various policy issues and possible solutions.
- Received an update from a representative of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on a number of Medigap issues.
Action Items:
- The Task Force adopted 2008 Charges.
- The Task Force approved language that would be included in the NAIC Medicare Supplement Model Regulation Compliance Manual, and forwarded this language to the Life and Health Actuarial Task Force’s Accident and Health Working Group.