Essential Health Benefits Benchmark Plans (CMS-10488)

Forms and Documents

Document	Type	Status	Availability
Form CMS-10488 Essential Health Benefits Benchmark Plans and Accrediting Entities Data Collection	Form	Modified	Available
CMS-10448 - EHB Supporting Statement FINAL.docx	Supporting Statement A	Uploaded 2015-08-28	Available

IC Document Collections

IC ID	Collection	Type	Status	Form
203740	EHB Dental Plan Issuers		Modified
203739	Essential Health Benefits Benchmark Plans and Accrediting Entities Data Collection	Form	Modified

ICR Details

OMB Control No: 0938-1174	ICR Reference No: 201508-0938-010
Status: Historical Active	Previous ICR Reference No: 201303-0938-003
Agency/Subagency: HHS/CMS	Agency Tracking No: 18885
Title: Essential Health Benefits Benchmark Plans (CMS-10488)
Type of Information Collection: Revision of a currently approved collection	Common Form ICR:  No
Type of Review Request: Regular
OIRA Conclusion Action: Approved with change	Conclusion Date: 09/11/2015
	Date Received in OIRA: 08/31/2015
Terms of Clearance:

	Inventory as of this Action	Requested	Previously Approved
Expiration Date	09/30/2018	36 Months From Approved	09/30/2015
Responses	226	0	178
Time Burden (Hours)	165	0	642
Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0	0

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Abstract: The Affordable Care Act requires that all qualified health plans (QHPs) offered in the Exchanges provide the essential health benefits (EHB) and be accredited by an accrediting entity that is recognized by the Secretary of Health and Human Services. In order to establish EHB benchmark plans in each State, CMS will collect data from potential default benchmark plan issuers in each State and from States that select their own benchmark. CMS also intends to ask all States for a voluntary submission of their State mandated benefits. This data collection will include: administrative data necessary to identify the plan, all health benefits offered by the plans and associated limits, drug coverage, network type, and plan level enrollment. Finally, we plan to collect submissions from dental plan issuers on whether they intend to apply for certification to participate in the Exchanges as stand-alone plans.

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Authorizing Statute(s): PL: Pub.L. 111 - 148 1201, 1301, 1302, 1311, 1321 Name of Law: Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Affordable Care Act)
  

Citations for New Statutory Requirements: None

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Associated Rulemaking Information
RIN:	Stage of Rulemaking:	Federal Register Citation:	Date:
	Not associated with rulemaking

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Federal Register Notices & Comments
60-day Notice:	Federal Register Citation:	Citation Date:
	79 FR 70674	11/26/2014
30-day Notice:	Federal Register Citation:	Citation Date:
	80 FR 10750	02/27/2015
Did the Agency receive public comments on this ICR? No

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Number of Information Collection (IC) in this ICR: 2

IC Title	Form No.	Form Name
Essential Health Benefits Benchmark Plans and Accrediting Entities Data Collection	CMS-10488	Data Collection Instructions
EHB Dental Plan Issuers

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ICR Summary of Burden

	Total Approved	Previously Approved	Change Due to New Statute	Change Due to Agency Discretion	Change Due to Adjustment in Estimate	Change Due to Potential Violation of the PRA
Annual Number of Responses	226	178	0	0	48	0
Annual Time Burden (Hours)	165	642	0	0	-477	0
Annual Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0	0	0	0	0

Burden increases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: No

Burden Increase Due to:

Burden decreases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: No

Burden Reduction Due to:

Short Statement: The overall burden hour estimate has decreased from 642 to 165, a total reduction of 477 hours. CMS is reducing burden on issuers and states by eliminating the submission of reporting instruments. The Department is proposing to employ a simplified approach to selecting an EHB benchmark plan beginning in 2017. The information being requested already exists independently of CMS reporting requirements and therefore, the collection of information has a minimal impact the public. Further, once the information is compiled CMS is asking to receive the requested files via email. The existing ICR assumes burden for 158 respondents (issuers and states). The number of respondents is being reduced from 158 to 51 respondents. The burden related to Dental Plans has risen due to the increase in the number of issuers, from 20 issuers to 175 issuers.

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Annual Cost to Federal Government: $0

Does this IC contain surveys, censuses, or employ statistical methods? No

Is the Supporting Statement intended to be a Privacy Impact Assessment required by the E-Government Act of 2002? No

Is this ICR related to the Affordable Care Act [Pub. L. 111-148 & 111-152]? Yes

Is this ICR related to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, [Pub. L. 111-203]? No

Is this ICR related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)? No

Is this ICR related to the Pandemic Response? Uncollected

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Common Form ICR:  No

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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:

(a) It is necessary for the proper performance of agency functions;

(b) It avoids unnecessary duplication;

(c) It reduces burden on small entities;

(d) It uses plain, coherent, and unambiguous language that is understandable to respondents;

(e) Its implementation will be consistent and compatible with current reporting and recordkeeping practices;

(f) It indicates the retention periods for recordkeeping requirements;

(g) It informs respondents of the information called for under 5 CFR 1320.8 (b)(3) about:

(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;

(h) It was developed by an office that has planned and allocated resources for the efficient and effective management and use of the information to be collected.

(i) It uses effective and efficient statistical survey methodology (if applicable); and

(j) It makes appropriate use of information technology.

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.

Certification Date: 08/31/2015

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