Announcements

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Retiree Drug Subsidy (RDS) Program is subject to the mandatory reductions in federal spending, or sequestration, in accordance with the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (BBEDCA), as amended.

CMS wants to hear from you! We are currently recruiting volunteers for the next phase of the Secure Website modernization: User Acceptance Testing. If you are a current RDS participant with an active Secure Website account, you actively use the Annual Plan Application process within the Secure Website, and are interested in participating, please review the material below and email CMS’ RDS Center by Friday, September 11, 2020 to express your interest in volunteering for the initiative. 

The address for sending an overpayment remittance to CMS' RDS Center has changed.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Retiree Drug Subsidy (RDS) Program is subject to the mandatory reductions in federal spending, or sequestration, in accordance with the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (BBEDCA), as amended.

CMS' RDS Center is pleased to announce that beginning May 8, 2020, all RDS applications' Payment Frequency will be set to a maximum frequency of monthly interim payments, consistent with the general payment rules regarding timing set forth in 42 C.F.R. 423.888(b)(1).

On Monday, April 6, 2020 the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the Cost Threshold and Cost Limit amounts that apply to Plan Sponsors participating in CMS' Retiree Drug Subsidy (RDS) Program, with qualified prescription drug plans that end in 2021, as well as the parameters for Medicare Part D plans in 2021.

CMS' RDS Center will be reaching out to RDS Plan Sponsors so that we may better understand the needs and wants of our users. We want to hear from you, because who better to tell us what Plan Sponsors need than the Plan Sponsors themselves.

On Friday night, August 16, 2019, CMS' RDS Center will implement a Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) login requirement to access the RDS Secure Website, mandated by updated Federal security policy requirements.

On Monday, April 1, 2019 the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the Cost Threshold and Cost Limit amounts that apply to Plan Sponsors participating in CMS' Retiree Drug Subsidy (RDS) Program, with qualified prescription drug plans that end in 2020, as well as the parameters for Medicare Part D plans in 2020.

CMS' RDS Center has published a list of statuses that an application can reflect throughout the RDS Program Lifecycle.