CMS Pub. 100-16, ch. 11, § 60

MA contracts are renewed annually only if:

• CMS informs the MA organization that it authorizes a renewal;

• The MA organization has not provided CMS with a notice of intention not to

renew; and

• Agreement is reached on the bid submitted by the MA organization.

CMS will notify each MA organization of its decision whether to authorize the renewal

of its MA contract, along with applicable appeal rights, by May 1 of the current contract

year.

NOTE: CMS annually issues a call letter specifying information concerning the

contract renewal process. For information for 2006 contracts, as well as

information concerning the transition to plans with contracts beginning

in 2006, view our call letter at

http://www.cms.hhs.gov/HealthPlansGenInfo. The call letter includes

the HPMS plan crosswalk which specifies MA plan renewal guidelines

and operational instructions by designating the relationships between

plans offered in 2005 to those being offered in 2006.