What collateral is Material Replacement available for and why?

The material review process is ever-changing. Get informed on how JAR uses the newest functionalities to take the responsibility of compliance out of your hands.

With all the marketing and communications materials agents share with their clients, there are bound to be changes that need to be made to commonly used staple materials. Given how often they’re used, submitting these materials for review as new materials every time they’re updated may seem tedious. Luckily, CMS allows materials to be replaced, rather than be submitted anew.

The Health Plan Management System uses its new Material Replacement function to allow the following materials to be submitted as replacement file attachments using the same Standardized Material Identification (SMID) when updated or changed:1

·       Annual Notice of Change (ANOC)

·       Summary of Benefits (SB)

·       Evidence of Coverage (EOC)

·       Star Ratings Documents

·       Sales scripts and presentations

·       Enrollment scripts

·       Enrollment forms (both online and paper)

Any other materials that have been previously submitted for review are not eligible for Material Replacement. These materials, when updated or changed, need to be marked “no longer in use” and resubmitted with new SMIDs.1

Original materials that are updated using the Material Replacement function should not be marked “no longer in use” since the updated file attachment replaces the original.1

Staying up-to-date with new functionalities of CMS review processes, requirements, and applications can take a lot of time out of an agent’s busy schedule. JAR agents have access to a back-office support team who handles all CMS regulations and compliance reviews, so they never have to worry about material compliance and updates on their own. Agents who are  ready to stay active and achieve success, rather than stay behind a desk, should contact our support staff to become a JAR agent today.

1. Centers of Medicare & Medicaid Services. Medicare Communications and Marketing Guidelines. 2022:8. Available here.