The Patient Protection and Affordable
Care Act, Public Law 111-148, (the Affordable Care Act) was enacted
by President Obama on March 23, 2010. As part of the Act, Congress
added PHS Act section 2719, which provides rules relating to
internal claims and appeals and external review processes. These
interim final regulations set forth rules implementing PHS Act
section 2719 for internal claims and appeals and external review
processes. With respect to internal claims and appeals processes
for group health coverage, PHS Act section 2719 and paragraph
(b)(2)(i) of the interim final regulations provide that group
health plans and health insurance issuers offering group health
insurance coverage must comply with the internal claims and appeals
processes set forth in 29 CFR 2560.503-1 (the DOL claims procedure
regulation) and update such processes in accordance with standards
established by the Secretary of Labor in paragraph (b)(2)(ii) of
the regulations. Also PHS Act section 2719 and these interim final
regulations provide that group health plans and issuers offering
group health insurance coverage must comply either with a State
external review process or a Federal review process. The
regulations provide a basis for determining when plans and issuers
must comply with an applicable State external review process and
when they must comply with the Federal external review
process.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.