General payment provisions.

(a) Source of payments. CMS payments under this section are made from the Medicare Prescription Drug Account. (b) Monthly payments. CMS provides a direct subsidy in the form of advance monthly payments equal to the Part D plan's standardized bid, risk adjusted for health status as provided in § 423.329(b), minus the monthly beneficiary premium as determined in § 423.286. (c) Reinsurance subsidies. CMS provides reinsurance subsidy payments described in § 423.329(c) on a monthly basis during a year based on either estimated or incurred allowable reinsurance costs as provided under § 423.329(c)(2)(i), and final reconciliation to actual allowable reinsurance costs as provided in § 423.343(c). (d) Low-income subsidies. CMS makes payments for premium and cost sharing subsidies, including additional coverage above the initial coverage limit, on behalf of certain subsidy-eligible individuals as provided in §§ 423.780 and 423.782. CMS provides low-income cost-sharing subsidy payments described in § 423.782 through interim payments of amounts as provided under § 423.329(d)(2)(i) and reconciliation to actual allowable reinsurance costs as provided in § 423.343(d). (e) Risk-sharing arrangements. CMS may issue lump-sum payments or adjust monthly payments in the following payment year based on the relationship of the Part D plan's adjusted allowable risk corridor costs to predetermined risk corridor thresholds in the coverage year as provided in § 423.336. (f) Retroactive adjustments and reconciliations. CMS reconciles payment year disbursements with updated enrollment and health status data, actual low-income cost-sharing costs and actual allowable reinsurance costs as provided in § 423.343. (g) Special rules for private fee-for-service plans —(1) Application of reinsurance. For private fee-for-service plans (as defined by § 422.4(a)(3) of this chapter) offering qualified prescription drug coverage, CMS determines the amount of reinsurance payments as provided under § 423.329(c)(3). (2) Exemption from risk corridor provisions. The provisions of § 423.336 regarding risk sharing do not apply. (h) Selected drug subsidy. CMS provides selected drug subsidy payments described in § 423.329(e) on a monthly basis during a year based on either estimated or incurred allowable reinsurance costs as provided under § 423.329(e)(2)(i), and final reconciliation to actual allowable reinsurance costs as provided in § 423.343(e). [70 FR 4525, Jan. 28, 2005, as amended at 91 FR 17589, Apr. 6, 2026]