CMS wrongly sent termination notices to more than 38,000 Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Medicare beneficiaries, according to the Star Tribune.
The letters were related to Medicare Cost health plans, which are set to end in the state by 2019. The change will affect about 320,000 seniors across Minnesota.
However, the change will not affect about 38,700 BCBS consumers across 21 Minnesota counties who erroneously received termination letters. BCBS and CMS confirmed the error to the Star Tribune Sept. 4.
CMS blames BCBS for providing bad information to the agency, leading it to botch the mailings.
"Blue Cross Blue Shield of MN inadvertently sent us incorrect enrollment [information] for 21 counties, resulting in CMS sending nonrenewal notices to enrollees in these counties even though the counties are not being non-renewed," the agency said in a statement to the Star Tribune. "BCBS/MN recognized its error and we are working together to swiftly resolve this issue on behalf of beneficiaries."
In a separate statement to the publication, BCBS of Minnesota said it will make phone calls and in the coming weeks, "members also will receive mailed materials from Blue Cross that confirm the availability of their same plan for next year."
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