On November 24, 2008, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published an interim final rule with comment period making technical changes to the methodology used to compute each state’s preliminary and final allotments available to pay the Medicare Part B premiums for qualifying individuals (QIs). The rule also contains charts providing the states’ final QI allotments for the federal fiscal year (FY) 2008 and preliminary QI allotments for FY 2009. While the rule is effective November 24, 2008, the final allotments for FY 2008 are effective October 1, 2007 and the preliminary allotments for FY 2009 are effective October 1, 2008. CMS will accept comments on the rule until January 23, 2009.