§423.315. General payment provisions.
42 C.F.R. § 423.315
Source of payments. CMS payments under this section are made from the Medicare Prescription Drug Account.
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.
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).
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).
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.
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.
Special rules for private fee-for-service plans—
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).
Exemption from risk corridor provisions. The provisions of § 423.336 regarding risk sharing do not apply.
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).
Notes, amendments, and revision history
Amendments
[70 FR 4525, Jan. 28, 2005, as amended at 91 FR 17589, Apr. 6, 2026]
Authority
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 1302, 1306, 1395w-101 through 1395w-152, and 1395hh.
Source
Source: 70 FR 4525, Jan. 28, 2005, unless otherwise noted.
Amendments
[70 FR 4525, Jan. 28, 2005, as amended at 91 FR 17589, Apr. 6, 2026]