Ohio Medicare Contract Goes To CIGNA

CIGNA has been named the Jurisdiction 15 Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC)  for Ohio and Kentucky after a lengthy appeal process by competitors.

The General Accounting Office (GAO) has denied each of the protests filed by various contractors, including one from Palmetto GBA, which currently administers the Medicare Part B program in Ohio.  In essence, CMS' award of J15 to CIGNA was upheld.  Details concerning the transition are not available at this time.

"We are very disappointed with this final ruling, " said OOA Executive Director Jon F. Wills.  "The Ohio Osteopathic Association has had a long and excellent working relationship with the staff of Palmetto Medicare, including many who were previously employed by Nationwide Medicare."  

CMS has systematically been replacing its current claims payment contractors (fiscal intermediaries and carriers) with new contract entities called Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) as required by section 911 of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA). Numerous challenges have occurred in all new jurisdictions during the process.

CMS planned to award a total of 19 MAC contracts through three procurement cycles. Fifteen of these contracts were to be with entities that will cover the majority of Part A and Part B services, i.e., A/B MACs.

For more information about CIGNA and A/B MAC Jurisdiction 15 transition and implemention, click here:  http://www.cignagovernmentservices.com/j15/index.html

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