The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have made two changes to this requirement:
1. CMS has issued new model disclosure notices that are to be used after April 1, 2011. The model notices, in both English and Spanish, can be found on the CMS website.
2. Beginning in 2011, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) changed the Medicare enrollment period, so the disclosure notice must now be sent to participants a month earlier. In the past, the Medicare enrollment period was November 15 through December 31, and the notice had to be given out by November 15. PPACA changes the enrollment period to October 15 through December 7. Accordingly, creditable coverage notices must now be sent by October 15.