With uncertainty around approval times, ensuring you are working with a robust version control process is critical to ensuring compliance with CMS guidelines.
The Medicare Annual Election Period (AEP) for 2021 is almost upon us, and it is important for potential members to fully understand their plan options and benefits. Connecting with the steadily growing Limited English Proficient over 65’s demographic depends on your capacity to deliver linguistically accessible, and accurate information.
With the COVID-19 pandemic casting major uncertainty about CMS approval times, implementing the necessary safeguards to ensure you are equipped to handle multiple revisions in an organized, compliant manner is the lifeline no provider can afford to discount. Once documentation has been submitted to CMS for review, anticipating further edits and implementing a robust version control process is key. This enables you to keep on top of revisions, ensuring you stay on budget, and meet deadlines and quality standards.
why version control is important
Version control is a management system consisting of processes, workflows and technological tools used to monitor and store changes made to files throughout the revision and editing phase. From a practical standpoint, implementing a solid version control process enables team members working on a translation to work autonomously on edits to documents, but in a controlled fashion.
This also facilitates total transparency by allowing changes in edited documents to be compared to the source, making it easier to spot and correct errors, annotate changes, and revert back to the source material when needed. Solid version control management enables final files to reflect the final source files accurately while enabling edits to be made quickly and efficiently.
ensuring quality control
Large volumes of documentation, such as Summary of Benefits, Annual Notices of change and Evidences or Coverage are often sent for translation before final source versions are produced in order to allow more time to meet AEP deadlines.
Without knowing exactly when these deadlines will be in 2020, keeping track of amended and final versions becomes critical for maintaining consistency and quality. Your translation services vendor can provide translation management technology which not only meets deadlines and reduces costs, but also ensures updates are processed appropriately. When selecting a vendor with an excellent version control process and experienced with CMS compliance, you can rest assured your project is in good hands.
leveraging translation memory (TM) for version control
If you’ve previously worked with a translation vendor for AEP documentation, you’ll know the benefits to having robust Translation Memory that is stocked with AEP-specific terminology, and highly specialized teams of linguists familiar with plan documents and terminology. With version control, leveraging a robust Translation Memory system ensures delivery of high- quality documents that communicate clearly to your Limited English Proficient-members.
CQ fluency works closely with our clients to help with any last-minute changes to ensure they are submitting the most up-to-date version for CMS approval and we deliver documents within easily managed timeframes to ensure CMS deadlines are met. Our team of subject matter experts specialize in health plan and medical terminology and will review your documentation to ensure it is not only technically accurate, but culturally relevant – on time, and on budget.
At CQ fluency, we understand the importance of version management and its role in quality assurance.
Last-minute changes are to be expected each year, and should be prepared for appropriately to avoid disrupting your AEP document submissions. Let us help you form a plan to prepare and finalize your document translations this year! Start the process today.