Medicare Advantage and Part D Compliance Training

As you are aware, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) has a contract with the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to provide Medicare Advantage Plans. The services that you provide help us fulfill our contractual obligations with the federal government.

On December 5, 2007, CMS issued a Final Rule clarifying requirements for Medicare subcontractors, including Medicare Advantage providers. This rule requires that all such providers participate in our compliance program. In general, you will need to do the following beginning January 1, 2009:

1. Compliance Training - All of your employees working under our contract with you must complete annual Medicare compliance training.
2. Fraud Hotline - All personnel working on our contract must be informed about our Special Investigation Unit's (SIU) hotline number for reporting suspected fraud, waste or abuse of noncompliance with Medicare rules.
3. Your Subcontractors - Any of your subcontractors working on our contract must be made aware of these requirements, take the compliance training, and be informed of our fraud hotline number.

We partnered with the nationally-recognized, National Health Care Anti-Fraud Association (NHCAA) and the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association to develop a computer-based training program entitled, "Medicare Advantage and Part D Compliance Training - Recognizing and Reporting Fraud Waste and Abuse." This training has been reviewed by CMS and should satisfy your training requirement under your other Medicare Advantage contracts.

Our vendor, LearnSomething, Inc. will administer the online mandatory training. We have arranged a discount rate of $14.95 per person. Bulk rates are also available through the vendor.

Complete the training:

Please note that if your organization has completed a CMS-approved training through another organization, you may not have to retake the training. We just need a record of completion or the attestation form. If the course was completed through our vendor, but sponsored by another organization, you do not have to submit the attestation form.

We thank you in advance for your cooperation. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your Network Management Representative.