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2013 Medicare Marketing Guidelines (MMG)Questions & ResponsesNovember 2, 2012Section 30 – Plan Sponsor Responsibilities (Updated)Number Question46. Regarding the 5-Star SEP, currently CMSallows plans to list their customer servicestar rating in the Medicare & YouHandbook (M&Y); however, beneficiariesmay use the 5-star SEP only for thoseplans that have an overall 5-star rating, notjust 5 star customer service rating. Thisdiscrepancy has led to confusion amongbeneficiaries and has resulted in allegedmarketing misrepresentation againstMEDICARE. When beneficiaries see a 5-star rating, they don't distinguish betweenthe plan's customer service departmentand its overall performance. In theirenrollment instructions, will plans berequired to specify whether the publishedstar ratings are overall or for a specificarea (i.e. customer service)?ResponseSee section 30.1.21 - Referencing PlanRatings in Marketing Materials - Plans mayonly reference the contract's individualmeasures in conjunction with its overallperformance rating in marketing materials.47. New - When will CMS release the newmodel enrollment form?Enrollment models are part of theEnrollment and Disenrollment manuals.Any updates to these models will beincorporated in the Enrollment andDisenrollment manuals, as appropriate.Section 40 – General Marketing Requirements (Updated)Number Question1. Section 40.1; are we to submit ourmarketing material in HPMS referencingonly (1) the sponsor‟s contractnumber and (2) any series of alphanumeric characters?ResponseThe marketing material identificationnumber used when submitting marketingmaterials in HPMS consists of two parts: 1)the plan sponsor‟s contract or MCE numberfollowed by an underscore and 2) anyseries of alpha numeric characters chosenat the plan sponsor‟s discretion. Whenplaced on actual marketing materials, thematerial identification number must befollowed by either “approved” or “accepted”(or “pending” on websites).The Final Contract Year 2013 Medicare Marketing Guidelines 10