CMS-10465 Change request final

Non-Substantive Change Request to CMS-10465

This is a non-substantive change request to CMS-10456 (Minimum Essential Coverage) to allow CMS to change how organizations that currently provide health coverage that are not designated as minimum essential coverage may submit a request to CMS that their coverage be recognized as minimum essential coverage. Currently sponsors are instructed to use a form to provide plan information along with a certification statement and submit it electronically to a CMS mailbox. We would like to instead ask sponsors to enter the same plan information on a spreadsheet and upload it into CMS’ Health Insurance Oversight System (HIOS) along with the certification statement. We believe that these changes will make the application process more secure and efficient, and not affect the burden on individual sponsors. The spreadsheet provides a list of all essential health benefits and relevant Affordable Care Act provisions and it might reduce the burden to respondents by eliminating the need to conduct any research for those sections.

In order to access HIOS, sponsors will need to complete the registration process. The burden related to the registration process is included in a separate ICR titled Health Care Reform Insurance Web Portal and Supporting Authority Contained in Sections 1103 and 10102 of The Patient Protection and Affordability Care Act, P.L. 111-148 (PPACA) (OMB control no. 0938-1086) and, therefore, is not included here.

We expect to start receiving applications in September in order to complete reviews for plans that with plan or policy years beginning on or before December 31, 2013 so that reviews can be completed timely. We therefore request approval of this request prior to September 1, 2013.