multistate rfi Supporting Statement final

Title: Request for Information, Multi-State Plans

OMB Control Number: 3206-NEW

PART A. JUSTIFICATION

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (Pub. L. 111-148 and Pub. L. 111-152, collectively referred to as the Affordable Care Act or the Act), creates State-based Health Insurance Exchanges (Exchanges) and Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) Exchanges as marketplaces for individuals and small groups to purchase health insurance. These Exchanges will offer qualified health insurance plans to eligible individuals and small employers.

Section 1334 of the Affordable Care Act directs the United States Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to contract with health insurance issuers to offer multi-State qualified health plans through Exchanges. OPM will contract with at least two multi-State qualified health plans (Multi-State Plans) that will offer health insurance coverage for purchase to individuals and small employers through Exchanges beginning in 2014. ( “State” refers to the 50 States and the District of Columbia.)

OPM is issuing this new, one-time collection Request for Information (RFI) to gather information related to our requirement to contract with health insurance issuers under section 1334 of the Affordable Care Act. The goal of the RFI is to better understand potential offerors’ interests and capabilities.

2. Indicate how, by whom, and for what purpose the information is to be used. Except for a new collection, indicate the actual use the agency has made of the information received from the current collection.

The information will be used by OPM to draft procurement documents to contract with Multi-State Plan issuers. The information will also be used to gauge industry interest in the contract.

3. Describe whether, and to what extent, the collection of information involves the use of automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

Questions will be available on the fedbizopps website. Contractors may email submissions to OPM contracting office.

4. Describe efforts to identify duplication. Show specifically why any similar information already available cannot be used or modified for use for the purposes described in item 2 above.

This information has not been collected in the past because the questions relate to potential offeror’s capabilities related to the new requirements in the Affordable Care Act.

5. If the collection of information impacts small businesses or other small entities, describe any methods used to minimize burden.

The collection will not impact small businesses.

6. Describe the consequence to Federal program or policy activities if the collection is not conducted or is conducted less frequently, as well as any technical or legal obstacles to reducing the burden.

The collection will only occur once.

7. Explain any special circumstances that would cause an information collection to be conducted in a manner:

• Requiring respondents to report information to the agency more often than quarterly;

• Requiring respondents to prepare a written response to a collection of information in fewer than 30 days after receipt of it;

• Requiring respondents to submit more than an original and two copies of any document;

• Requiring respondents to retain records, other than health, medical, government contract, grant-in-aid, or tax records, for more than 3 years;

• In connection with a statistical survey, that is not designed to produce valid and reliable results that can be generalized to the universe of study;

• Requiring the use of a statistical data classification that has not been reviewed and approved by OMB;

• That includes a pledge of confidentiality that is not supported by authority established in statute or regulation, that is not supported by disclosure and data security policies that are consistent with the pledge, or that unnecessarily impedes sharing of data with other agencies for compatible confidential use; or

• Requiring respondents to submit proprietary trade secrets or other confidential information unless the agency can demonstrate that it has instituted procedures to protect the information's confidentiality to the extent permitted by law.

There are no special circumstances with this collection of information.

8. If applicable, provide a copy and identify the date and page number of publication in the Federal Register of the agency's notice, required by 5 CFR 1320.8(d), soliciting comments on the information collection prior to submission to OMB.

An Emergency Review request was published in the Federal Register on 05, 23, 2011 at 76 FR 29804.

9. Explain any decision to provide any payment or gift to respondents, other than remuneration of contractors or grantees.

There will be no payments or gifts to respondents.

10. Describe any assurance of confidentiality provided to respondents and the basis for the assurance in statute, regulation, or agency policy.

Any proprietary business information will remain confidential because it is exempted from a Freedom of Information Act information request.

11. Provide additional justification for any questions of a sensitive nature, such as sexual behavior and attitudes, religious beliefs, and other matters that are commonly considered private.

There are no sensitive questions.

12. Provide estimates of the hour burden of the collection of information.

An estimated 40 respondents taking 3 hours to complete the form creates a burden of 120 hours.

13. Provide an estimate for the total annual cost burden to respondents or record-keepers resulting from the collection of information.

There would be a de minimis annual cost burden because potential offerors would utilize a small amount of time of previously-employed workers to complete the RFI.

14. Provide estimates of annualized costs to the Federal Government.

There is a de minimis cost to the government to draft and accept answers from the form.

15. Explain the reasons for any program changes or adjustments reported on the burden worksheet.

This is a new information collection.

16. For collections of information whose results will be published, outline plans for tabulation and publication. Address any complex analytical techniques that will be used. Provide the time schedule for the entire project, including beginning and ending dates of the collection of information, completion of report, publication dates, and other actions.

This collection of information will not be published.

17. If you are seeking approval to not display the expiration date for OMB approval of the information collection, explain the reasons that display would be inappropriate.

This information collection is an RFI issued only once and will not be used again.

18. Explain each exception to the topics of the certification statement identified in Certification for Paperwork Reduction Act Submissions.

There are no exceptions.