Code of Federal Regulations Title 42. Public Health § 42.405.508 Determination of comparable circumstances;  limitation

(a) Application of limitation. The carrier may not in any case make a determination of reasonable charge which would be higher than the charge upon which it would base payment to its own policyholders for a comparable service in comparable circumstances. The charge upon which it would base payment, however, does not necessarily mean the amount the carrier would be obligated to pay. Under certain circumstances, some carriers pay amounts on behalf of individuals who are their policyholders, which are below the customary charges of physicians or other persons to other individuals. Payment under the supplementary medical insurance program would not be limited to these lower amounts.

(b) When comparability exists. “Comparable circumstances,” as used in the Act and this subpart, refers to the circumstances under which services are rendered to individuals and the nature of the carrier's health insurance programs and the method it uses to determine the amounts of payments under these programs. Generally, comparability would exist where:

(c) Responsibility for determining comparability. Responsibility for determining whether or not a carrier's program has comparability will in the first instance fall upon the carrier in reporting pertinent information about its programs to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. When the pertinent information has been reported, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will advise the carrier whether any of its programs have comparability.