Many of the marketing materials that Medicare Advantage plans use for advertising and enrollment do not meet standards CMS has set so that beneficiaries can make informed plan decisions, according to the Office of the Inspector General. After reviewing marketing materials from 36 Medicare Advantage plans, the OIG found that some of the materials did not contain required information on prescription drug benefits. For example, 55 percent of benefit summaries of the plans surveyed did not state that formulary contents could change. Some of the materials also did not have basic information such as operating hours and customer service numbers that beneficiaries need to access plan information.
In its report on Medicare Advantage marketing materials, the OIG noted that CMS is working to improve its reviews of marketing materials. CMS regional staff will perform consolidated reviews of Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D plan marketing materials, and a contractor will review the materials for consistency.
