[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 42, Volume 2]
[Revised as of October 1, 2002]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 42CFR417.426]

[Page 718-719]
 
                         TITLE 42--PUBLIC HEALTH
 
                             HUMAN SERVICES
 
PART 417--HEALTH MAINTENANCE ORGANIZATIONS, COMPETITIVE MEDICAL PLANS, AND HEALTH CARE PREPAYMENT PLANS--Table of Contents
 
  Subpart K--Enrollment, Entitlement, and Disenrollment under Medicare 
                                Contract
 
Sec. 417.426  Open enrollment requirements.

    (a) Basic requirements. (1) HMOs or CMPs must provide open 
enrollment for Medicare beneficiaries for at least 30 consecutive days 
during each contract year.
    (2) During open enrollment, the HMO or CMP must enroll eligible 
Medicare beneficiaries in the order in which their applications are 
received and until its enrollment capacity is reached.
    (3) The HMO or CMP may accept applications from Medicare 
beneficiaries after it has reached capacity if it places those 
individuals on a waiting list and enrolls them in chronological order as 
vacancies occur.
    (4) An HMO or CMP with a risk contract must accept applications from 
eligible Medicare beneficiaries during the month of November 1998.
    (b) Capacity to accept new enrollees. (1) If an HMO or CMP chooses 
to limit enrollments because of its capacity, it must notify CMS at 
least 90 days before the beginning of its open enrollment period and, at 
that time, provide CMS with its reasons for limiting enrollment.
    (2) CMS evaluates the HMO's or CMP's submittal under paragraph 
(b)(1) of this section.
    (3) The HMO or CMP must promptly notify CMS if there is any change 
in its enrollment capacity.
    (c) Reserved vacancies. (1) Subject to CMS's approval, an HMO or CMP 
may set aside a reasonable number of vacancies for an anticipated new 
group contract or for anticipated new enrollees under an existing group 
contract that will have its enrollment period after

[[Page 719]]

the Medicare open enrollment period during the contract year.
    (2) Any set aside vacancies that are not filled within a reasonable 
time after the beginning of the group contract enrollment period must be 
made available to Medicare beneficiaries and other nongroup applicants 
under the requirements of this subpart.

[50 FR 1346, Jan. 10, 1985, as amended at 58 FR 38079, July 15, 1993; 60 
FR 45677, Sept. 1, 1995; 63 FR 35066, June 26, 1998]