The National Council has prepared draft comments in response to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services' (CMS) Proposed Rule for Case Management Services under the Medicaid Program and encourages all members to submit their own comments to CMS using this template by 5 pm on February 4, 2008. 

On December 4, 2007, CMS released an interim final rule on case management services. You may remember that the Deficit Reduction Act (DRA) provided legislative changes to case management and targeted case management, and these interim rules reflect, and in some instances go further than, the legislative intent of the Deficit Reduction Act.
 
We encourage you to submit your own comments to CMS using this template. In addition to sending comments from your agency, please encourage your staff to submit individual comments as well - the more comments CMS receives, the greater the impact they will have. Please personalize your comments by submitting them on your agency's letterhead and adding information describing your organization. Examples of the type of information you may wish to include: a profile of clients served; types of services provided; number of clients served; overview of your funding stream; and number of years in business. The National Council encourages you to copy your members of Congress and Governor on your comments to ensure that they read about the impact the proposed rule will have on providers in their state and the people you serve.  

Comments on the proposed rule are due by 5:00 pm Eastern time on Friday, February 4, 2008. While comments may be submitted by mail, electronically, or via courier, the National Council encourages you to submit your comments electronically for easiest submission.  

To submit your comments electronically: 

1. Click on the following link. 

2. Click on the link "Submit Electronic Comments on CMS Regulations with an Open Comment Period".  

3. Click on the link for Docket ID "CMS-2237-IFC".  

4. Click on the "Submit Comment" button.   

5. Enter your information (zip code, country, and type of organization are required; organization name and commenter's name are optional) and click "continue".  

6. Type "See Attachment" under "General Comments" and click "continue". 

7. Attach your file and click "save comments" to submit your comments. Note: while a variety of file types are accepted, submitting a Microsoft Word version of your document is preferred. 

To submit comments by regular or overnight mail, please see the instructions in the Federal Register announcement.  

Please share the comments you submit to CMS with the National Council. Send a copy of your comment letter to Mohini Venkatesh.