The CMS Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) for 2022 will take place between October 15 and December 7.
Supplement providers are dutifully preparing for the Annual Enrollment Period for Medicare and Medicaid. It is their busiest time of year and also their riskiest—the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) closely monitors providers’ activities and interactions with consumers during this time, ready to institute punitive action should providers violate any of CMS’s strict rules.
These rules protect consumers form unethical sales tactics. Providers must guard against violations within their sales force and call centers.
But first, let’s back up. What is AEP?
What is the Annual Enrollment Period? What is AEP?
AEP stands for the Annual Enrollment Period.
Each year, Medicare and Medicaid participants are offered a window in which they can change their supplemental Medicare coverage plan and carrier. It comes in the fall of every year, and enrollees are encouraged to explore their options, do their research, and find the plan that is right for them.
This period of time is known as the Annual Enrollment Period (AEP)
What Happens During AEP?
CMS, the governmental body responsible for regulating Medicare and Medicaid supplement providers, closely monitors providers’ interactions with potential customers during AEP. This includes sending in undercover consumers to mystery shop sales agents and call center employees.
Any violations these employees commit will be documented and ultimately their company will face punitive action. Punishment can range from a fine to a forfeiture of contract.
TrendSource CMS Compliance Audits for AEP 2022
Obviously, supplement providers must work hard to avoid such violations and punitive actions.
This starts with a CMS Compliance Audit program. CMS Compliance Audits replicate the CMS secret shopper experience, allowing providers to catch and correct small scale violations before they are caught by CMS. Furthermore, a CMS Compliance Audit program demonstrates best efforts to remain compliant with CMS regulations in the event a violation occurs.
TrendSource offers several CMS Compliance Audits:
- CMS Phone Call Compliance Audits
- CMS Translator Call Compliance Audits
- CMS Formal Event Compliance Audits
- CMS Informal Event Compliance Audits
- CMS 1:1 Appointment Audits
With an unrivaled, proprietary database of Field Agents, over a decade of industry experience, and a QA team like no other, TrendSource is uniquely positioned to deliver rapid, accurate, and actionable CMS Compliance Audits.
