The Department of the Treasury is of the view that transparency in health coverage requirements will strengthen America's health care system by giving health care consumers, researchers, regulators, lawmakers, health innovators, and other health care stakeholders the information they need to make or assist others in making informed decisions about health care purchases.
Participants, beneficiaries, and enrollees will have easier access to health care pricing information, through an internet-based self-service tool that includes consumer-specific cost- sharing amounts for items and services covered by their plan or coverage. This information will allow consumers to evaluate options for receiving health care from in-network and out-of- network providers, make cost-conscious health care purchasing decisions, and reduce surprises in relation to their out-of-pocket costs for health care services.
This RCF submission accounts for the 25% share of the total burden under the rule that is attributable to Treasury.
During the associated rulemaking (85 FR 72158) as well as in the subsequent submission to OMB, the ICR explicitly stated that it would be using the Request for Common Form (RCF) process. Once approved, the Departments would submit RCFs for their respective Departments. Due to an administrative oversight, CMS did not submit 0938-1429 as an ICR sponsoring a common form. With this submission we are correcting the oversight.