[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 139 (Friday, July 23, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Page 39028]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-15656]



[[Page 39028]]

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services


Reduction of Issuer Burden Through Technology Grant

AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Department of 
Health and Human Services (HHS).

ACTION: Notice of funding opportunity.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the issuance of the March 10, 2021 (and 
amended on April 29, 2021) single-source funding opportunity titled 
``Reduction of Issuer Burden Through Technology Grant'' (hereafter 
referred to as the ``RIBTT Grant'') available solely to the National 
Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) to build a connection 
between the State Electronic Rate and Form Filing (SERFF) system, owned 
and operated by the NAIC, and the Health Insurance Oversight System 
(HIOS), which is operated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid 
Services (CMS). This connection will enable health insurance issuers to 
enter rate justification data into the SERFF system and then have this 
rate justification data automatically transfer to HIOS. Currently, 
health insurance issuers have to enter duplicate data into both the 
SERFF system and HIOS in order to maintain compliance with federal and 
state law in 49 states and the District of Columbia.

DATES: The project period of the award, in the amount of $250,000 to 
the NAIC, will be 24 months from the date of award. The tentative award 
date is July 29, 2021.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jim Taing, (301) 492-4182.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background

    The Reduction of Issuer Burden Through Technology Grant (RIBTT 
Grant) provides a funding source to build a connection between the 
SERFF system and the Unified Rate Review (URR) module of HIOS. Forty-
nine states and the District of Columbia currently use the SERFF system 
to collect and review rate data. Building a connection between SERFF 
and HIOS will reduce burden on health insurance issuers and decrease 
the potential for data mismatches between the two systems. It will 
enable health insurance issuers to enter rate justification data into 
the SERFF system and the rate justification data will automatically 
transfer to HIOS. Currently, health insurance issuers have to enter 
duplicate data into both the SERFF system and HIOS in order to maintain 
compliance with applicable federal and state law. Funding under the 
RIBTT Grant is available to the NAIC to complete their portion of the 
technical changes needed in order to build such a connection between 
the SERFF system and HIOS.

II. Provisions of the Notice

    CMS is anticipating approximately a total of $250,000 will be 
available for the RIBTT Grant, pending availability of funds, to the 
NAIC to complete their portion of the technical changes needed in order 
to build such a connection between the SERFF system and HIOS for the 
transfer of rate filing information. The NAIC may use grant funds for a 
variety of planning, development, testing, and implementation 
objectives related to the technical changes needed to build the 
connection between the SERFF system and HIOS. This includes, but is not 
limited to, hiring or contracting with information technology 
professionals or firms to complete the work. Pending an acceptable 
application and budget, the CMS will recommend awarding a single source 
grant to the NAIC who is uniquely qualified to complete the work 
requested. The NAIC is uniquely positioned to perform this work as they 
are the only applicant under this funding opportunity to meet the 
objectives of this funding opportunity as they own, operate, and 
maintain the SERFF system and the SERFF system is what is utilized by 
health insurance issuers to submit rate filing justification data in 49 
states and the District of Columbia. The NAIC has built previous IT 
connections between their SERFF system and HIOS for the submission of 
Qualified Health Plan certification data between SERFF and the Plan 
Management module of HIOS. Funds enable NAIC to establish this new IT 
connection between the SERFF system and the URR module of HIOS based on 
the prior system architecture.
    The Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services 
(CMS), Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, having reviewed and approved this 
document, authorizes Lynette Wilson, who is the Federal Register 
Liaison, to electronically sign this document for purposes of 
publication in the Federal Register.

    Dated: July 19, 2021.
Lynette Wilson,
Federal Register Liaison, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
[FR Doc. 2021-15656 Filed 7-22-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-01-P