PUBLIC LAW 108–173—DEC. 8, 2003
117 STAT. 2203
to provide notice to interested parties), not later than the first Monday in April before the calendar year concerned, with respect to each MA payment area, the following: ‘‘(I) MA CAPITATION RATES; MA LOCAL AREA BENCHMARK.—The annual MA capitation rate for each MA payment area for the year. ‘‘(II) ADJUSTMENT FACTORS.—The risk and other factors to be used in adjusting such rates under subsection (a)(1)(C) for payments for months in such year. ‘‘(ii) REGIONAL BENCHMARK ANNOUNCEMENT.—The Secretary shall determine, and shall announce (in a manner intended to provide notice to interested parties), on a timely basis before the calendar year concerned, with respect to each MA region and each MA regional plan for which a bid was submitted under section 1854, the MA region-specific non-drug monthly benchmark amount for that region for the year involved.’’; and (2) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘in the announcement’’ and all that follows and inserting ‘‘in such announcement.’’. (g) OTHER AMENDMENTS RELATING TO PREMIUMS AND BID AMOUNTS.— (1) IN GENERAL.—Section 1854 (42 U.S.C. 1395w–24) is amended— (A) by amending the section heading to read as follows: ‘‘PREMIUMS
AND BID AMOUNTS’’;
(B) in the heading of subsection (a), by inserting ‘‘, BID AMOUNTS,’’ after ‘‘PREMIUMS’’; (C) in subsection (a)(2)— (i) by inserting ‘‘BEFORE 2006’’ after ‘‘FOR COORDINATED CARE PLANS’’; and (ii) by inserting ‘‘for a year before 2006’’ after ‘‘section 1851(a)(2)(A)’’; (D) in subsection (a)(3), by striking ‘‘described’’ and inserting ‘‘for any year’’; (E) in subsection (a)(4)— (i) by inserting ‘‘BEFORE 2006’’ after ‘‘FOR PRIVATE FEE-FOR-SERVICE PLANS’’; and (ii) by inserting ‘‘for a year before 2006’’ after ‘‘section 1852(a)(1)(A)’’; (F) in subsection (a)(5)(A), by inserting ‘‘paragraphs (2) and (4) of’’ after ‘‘filed under’’; (G) in subsection (a)(5)(B), by inserting after ‘‘paragraph (3) or’’ the following: ‘‘, in the case of an MA private fee-for-service plan,’’; and (H) in subsection (b)(1)(A) by striking ‘‘and’’ and inserting a comma and by inserting before the period at the end the following: ‘‘, and, if the plan provides qualified prescription drug coverage, the MA monthly prescription drug beneficiary premium’’. (2) UNIFORMITY.—Section 1854(c) (42 U.S.C. 1395w–24(c)) is amended to read as follows: ‘‘(c) UNIFORM PREMIUM AND BID AMOUNTS.—Except as permitted under section 1857(i), the MA monthly bid amount submitted
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