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The rules say that plans must pay for a medical service or item if regular Medicare would pay for it in this case. 
You can find this rule at 42 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Section 422.101. 
 
The rules state that in the case of tests for infectious agents, methodologies include detection by 
immunofluorescence, immunoassay, or nucleic acid probe techniques. A single laboratory procedure shall be 
reported as one unit of service whether it generates one or multiple results. When multiple procedures, multiple 
methodologies, or multiple kits are medically necessary and used to perform a test for multiple infectious 
agents, the units of service reported for codes that identify multiple infectious agents equals the number of 
different procedures, methodologies, or kits used to perform the test. You can find this information in the 
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Internet Only Manual, National Correct Coding Initiative (NCCI) 
Manual, Chapter 10, Section M(15). 
 
The rules say that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service (CMS) has established units of service edits 
referred to as Medically Unlikely Edits (MUEs). An MUE for a Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System 
(HCPCS)/Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code is the maximum number of units of service under most 
circumstances allowable by the same provider for the same enrollee on the same date of service. Claims 
submitted where the unit of service exceeds the MUE value for that HCPCS/CPT code will be denied. 
 
Beginning on April 1, 2013, CMS introduced the MUE Adjudication Indicator (MAI) to differentiate between 
types of MUEs. If a code has an MAI of 1, appropriate use of a modifier may be used to report the same code 
on separate lines of the claim. MUEs for codes with an MAI of 2 are absolute date of service edits. These are 
per day edits based on policy. MUEs for codes with an MAI of 3 are per day edits based on clinical 
benchmarks. Codes with an MAI of 3 are based on criteria combined with data such that it would be 
possible, but medically unlikely, that higher values would represent correctly reported medically necessary 
services. To be paid, there must be evidence (e.g., medical review) that the excess units were actually provided, 
were correctly coded, and were medically necessary. 
 You can find this rule in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Medicare National Correct Coding 
Initiative Policy Manual for Medicare Services, Chapter I(V). 
 
The rules say that plans may choose the networks of providers available to enrollees and may require enrollees 
to obtain authorization before receiving services. You can find this rule at 42 CFR Section 422.112(a) and in 
the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Internet Only Manual, Publication 100-16, Medicare 
Managed Care Manual, Chapter 1, Section 20.2. 
 
If you want to read these Medicare rules, you can go to this website www.medicareappeal.com. 
 
The Plan contract says that the Plan covers items and services in accordance with Medicare rules.   
 
The Plan contract says that, with limited exceptions, members of the Plan must use network providers to get 
medical care and services. The only exceptions are emergencies, urgently needed care when the network is not 
available (generally, when the enrollee is out of the area), out-of-area dialysis services, and cases in which the 
Plan authorizes the use of out-of-network providers. You can find this information on pages 26-32 of the Plans 
2023 Evidence of Coverage.