81 FR 25406 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 82 (April 28, 2016)

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 82 (Thursday, April 28, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25406-25407]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-09953]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

[Document Identifier: CMS-10527]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request

AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, HHS.

    In compliance with the requirement of section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 
Services (CMS) is publishing the following summary of proposed 
collections for public comment. Interested persons are invited to send 
comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this 
collection of information, including any of the following subjects: (1) 
The necessity and utility of the proposed information collection for 
the proper performance of the agency's functions; (2) the accuracy of 
the estimated burden; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and 
clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) the use of 
automated collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology to minimize the information collection burden.

DATES: Comments must be received by June 27, 2016.

ADDRESSES: When commenting, please reference the document identifier or 
OMB control number. To be assured consideration, comments and 
recommendations must be submitted in any one of the following ways:
    1. Electronically. You may send your comments electronically to 
http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for ``Comment or 
Submission'' or ``More Search Options'' to find the information 
collection document(s) that are accepting comments.
    2. By regular mail. You may mail written comments to the following 
address: CMS, Office of Strategic Operations and Regulatory Affairs,

[[Page 25407]]

Division of Regulations Development, Attention: Document Identifier/OMB 
Control Number ____, Room C4-26-05, 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, 
Maryland 21244-1850.
    To obtain copies of a supporting statement and any related forms 
for the proposed collection(s) summarized in this notice, you may make 
your request using one of the following:
    1. Access CMS' Web site address at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/PaperworkReductionActof1995.
    2. Email your request, including your address, phone number, OMB 
number, and CMS document identifier, to [email protected].
    3. Call the Reports Clearance Office at (410) 786-1326.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Reports Clearance Office at (410) 786-
1326.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Contents

    This notice sets out a summary of the use and burden associated 
with the following information collections. More detailed information 
can be found in each collection's supporting statement and associated 
materials (see ADDRESSES).

CMS-10527 Annual Eligibility Redetermination, Product Discontinuation 
and Renewal Notices

    Under the PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), federal agencies must obtain 
approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for each 
collection of information they conduct or sponsor. The term 
``collection of information'' is defined in 44 U.S.C. 3502(3) and 5 CFR 
1320.3(c) and includes agency requests or requirements that members of 
the public submit reports, keep records, or provide information to a 
third party. Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA requires federal agencies 
to publish a 60-day notice in the Federal Register concerning each 
proposed collection of information, including each proposed extension 
or reinstatement of an existing collection of information, before 
submitting the collection to OMB for approval. To comply with this 
requirement, CMS is publishing this notice.
    1. Type of Information Collection Request: Revision a currently 
approved collection; Title of Information Collection: Annual 
Eligibility Redetermination, Product Discontinuation and Renewal 
Notices; Use: Section 1411(f)(1)(B) of the Affordable Care Act directs 
the Secretary of Health and Human Services (the Secretary) to establish 
procedures to redetermine the eligibility of individuals on a periodic 
basis in appropriate circumstances. Section 1321(a) of the Affordable 
Care Act provides authority for the Secretary to establish standards 
and regulations to implement the statutory requirements related to 
Exchanges, QHPs and other components of title I of the Affordable Care 
Act. Under section 2703 of the PHS Act, as added by the Affordable Care 
Act, and sections 2712 and 2741 of the PHS Act, enacted by the Health 
Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, health insurance 
issuers in the group and individual markets must guarantee the 
renewability of coverage unless an exception applies.
    The final rule ``Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; Annual 
Eligibility Redeterminations for Exchange Participation and Insurance 
Affordability Programs; Health Insurance Issuer Standards Under the 
Affordable Care Act, Including Standards Related to Exchanges'' (79 FR 
52994), provides that an Exchange may choose to conduct the annual 
redetermination process for a plan year (1) in accordance with the 
existing procedures described in 45 CFR 155.335; (2) in accordance with 
procedures described in guidance issued by the Secretary for the 
coverage year; or (3) using an alternative proposed by the Exchange and 
approved by the Secretary. The guidance document ``Guidance on Annual 
Redeterminations for Coverage for 2015'' contains the procedures that 
the Secretary has specified, as noted in (2) above, until the issuance 
of further guidance. These procedures will be adopted by the Federally-
facilitated Exchange. Under this option, the Exchange will provide 
three notices. These notices may be combined.
    The final rule also amends the requirements for product renewal and 
re-enrollment (or non-renewal) notices to be sent by Qualified Health 
Plan (QHP) issuers in the Exchanges and specifies content for these 
notices. The guidance document ``Draft Updated Federal Standard Renewal 
and Product Discontinuation Notices'' provides draft updated Federal 
standard notices for product discontinuation and renewal that would be 
sent by issuers of individual market QHPs and issuers in the individual 
market. Issuers in the small group market may use the draft Federal 
standard small group notices released in the June 26, 2014 bulletin 
``Draft Standard Notices When Discontinuing or Renewing a Product in 
the Small Group or Individual Market'', or any forms of the notice 
otherwise permitted by applicable laws and regulations. States that are 
enforcing the Affordable Care Act may develop their own standard 
notices, for product discontinuances, renewals, or both, provided the 
State-developed notices are at least as protective as the Federal 
standard notices. Form Number: CMS-10527 (OMB Control Number: 0938-
1254); Frequency: Annually; Affected Public: Private Sector, State 
Governments; Number of Respondents: 2,945; Number of Responses: 12,224; 
Total Annual Hours: 149,186. (For policy questions regarding this 
collection, contact Russell Tipps at 301-492-4371.)

    Dated: April 25, 2016.
William N. Parham, III,
Director, Paperwork Reduction Staff, Office of Strategic Operations and 
Regulatory Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2016-09953 Filed 4-27-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-01-P