Section 1413 of the Affordable Care Act directs the Secretary of HHS to establish, subject to minimum requirements, a streamlined enrollment system for qualified health plans offered through the Exchange and insurance affordability programs. In addition, section 1321(a)(1) of the Affordable Care Act directs and authorizes the Secretary to issue regulations setting standards for meeting the requirements under title I of the Affordable Care Act, with respect to, among other things, the establishment and operation of Exchanges. Pursuant to this authority, regulations establishing the certified application counselor program are being finalized at 45 CFR 155.225. Specifically, 45 CFR 155.225(a) requires an Exchange to establish a certified application counselor program that complies with the requirements of the rule. Section155.225(b)(1) allows each Exchange to designate certain organizations, including organizations designated by state Medicaid or CHIP agencies, which will certify their staff and volunteers to act as certified application counselors. In accordance with 45 CFR 155.225(b)(2), Exchanges may choose to certify directly individuals who seek to act as certified application counselors, designate certain organizations which will certify staff or volunteers to perform application services, or do both.
PL: Pub.L. 111 - 148 1321(A) and (D) Name of Law: State Flexibility in Operation and Enforcement of Exchanges and Related Requirements
PL: Pub.L. 111 - 148 1413 Name of Law: Streamlining of procedures for enrollment through an exchange
This revised collection increased the total time burden by 162,120 hours, from 693,701 hours to 855,821 hours. The change in burden is mainly due to newly proposed requirements associated with tracking performance data and information by each certified application counselor and designated organization. There are additional requirements being proposed related to reporting of performance data and information by each certified application counselor organization to an Exchange, and the review of that data and information by the Exchange to which it has been submitted. CMS inadvertently overlooked the burden associated with CMS' review of the optional training quality user questionnaire and is additional burden associated with the collection in this proposed submission.
$100,660
No
No
Yes
No
No
Uncollected
Jamaa Hill 301 492-4190
No
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.