<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?>
<REGINFO_RIN_DATA xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" RUN_DATE="2026-04-03-04:00" xsi:noNamespaceSchemaLocation="https://www.reginfo.gov/public/xml/REGINFO_XML_Ver10262011.xsd">
    <RIN_INFO>
        <RIN>0950-AA07</RIN>
        <PUBLICATION>
            <PUBLICATION_ID>201010</PUBLICATION_ID>
            <PUBLICATION_TITLE>The Regulatory Plan and the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions</PUBLICATION_TITLE>
        </PUBLICATION>
        <AGENCY>
            <CODE>0950</CODE>
            <NAME>Office of Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight</NAME>
            <ACRONYM>OCIIO</ACRONYM>
        </AGENCY>
        <PARENT_AGENCY>
            <CODE>0900</CODE>
            <NAME>Department of Health and Human Services</NAME>
            <ACRONYM>HHS</ACRONYM>
        </PARENT_AGENCY>
        <RULE_TITLE>Transparency Reporting</RULE_TITLE>
        <ABSTRACT><![CDATA[The Affordable Care Act requires group health plans and health insurance issuers to submit specific information to the Secretary, the State insurance commissioner, and to make the information available to the public. This includes information on claims payment policies, the number of claims denied, data on rating practices and other information as determined by the Secretary. The provision also requires plans and issuers to provide to individuals upon request the amount of cost sharing that the individual would be responsible for paying for a specific item or service provided by a participating provider.  This interim final rule would implement information disclosure provisions in section 2715A of the Public Health Service Act, as added by the Affordable Care Act.]]></ABSTRACT>
        <PRIORITY_CATEGORY>Other Significant</PRIORITY_CATEGORY>
        <RIN_STATUS>First Time Published in The Unified Agenda</RIN_STATUS>
        <RULE_STAGE>Proposed Rule Stage</RULE_STAGE>
        <MAJOR>Undetermined</MAJOR>
        <UNFUNDED_MANDATE_LIST>
            <UNFUNDED_MANDATE>Undetermined</UNFUNDED_MANDATE>
        </UNFUNDED_MANDATE_LIST>
        <CFR_LIST>
            <CFR>45  CFR  153, Insurance Rules (sec 2715A)</CFR>
        </CFR_LIST>
        <LEGAL_AUTHORITY_LIST>
            <LEGAL_AUTHORITY>PL 111-148, title I, subtitle A, sec 1001 PHS Act, sec 2715A</LEGAL_AUTHORITY>
        </LEGAL_AUTHORITY_LIST>
        <LEGAL_DLINE_LIST/>
        <RPLAN_ENTRY>Yes</RPLAN_ENTRY>
        <RPLAN_INFO>
            <STMT_OF_NEED><![CDATA[The Department of Health and Human Services, along with the Department of Labor and the Treasury Department, will issue interim final rules to implement the information disclosure provisions in section 2715A of the Public Health Service Act, as added by the Affordable Care Act. This regulation will improve the transparency of information about how health coverage works so consumers will have better information to use and assess the coverage they have now, and/or make choices among different coverage options.]]></STMT_OF_NEED>
            <LEGAL_BASIS><![CDATA[Title I, subtitle A, section 1001 of the Affordable Care Act adds section 2715A to the Public Health Service Act that will require group health plans and health insurance issuers to make certain disclosures to the Secretary, the State insurance commissioner, the public, and in some cases, individuals.]]></LEGAL_BASIS>
            <ALTERNATIVES><![CDATA[None--statutory requirement.]]></ALTERNATIVES>
            <COSTS_AND_BENEFITS><![CDATA[HHS estimates the benefits of this regulation to come from improved information for consumers and regulators, which will in tern result in a more efficient insurance market.  Improved information for consumers will allow them to make better health insurance choices -- to choose higher quality insurers and ones that more closely match their preferences with respect to plan design.  This could result in increased satisfaction and decreased morbidity.  In addition, consumers may be more likely to choose insurers with more efficient processes, which could result in a reduction in administrative costs.  Improved information for regulators will allow for monitoring of the markets to track current industry practices, which will allow for better enforcement of current market regulations through more targeted audits that are based upon insurer responses.  Additionally, reporting requirements and the threat of targeted audit will likely influence issuer behavior to motivate compliance.  I is not possible to quantify the benefits at this time.

The direct costs imposed by the regulation are reporting requirements.  These requirements are still being developed, and will be quantified in the regulation.]]></COSTS_AND_BENEFITS>
        </RPLAN_INFO>
        <TIMETABLE_LIST>
            <TIMETABLE>
                <TTBL_ACTION>NPRM</TTBL_ACTION>
                <TTBL_DATE>03/00/2011</TTBL_DATE>
            </TIMETABLE>
        </TIMETABLE_LIST>
        <RFA_REQUIRED>Undetermined</RFA_REQUIRED>
        <GOVT_LEVEL_LIST>
            <GOVT_LEVEL>Undetermined</GOVT_LEVEL>
        </GOVT_LEVEL_LIST>
        <FEDERALISM>Undetermined</FEDERALISM>
        <PRINT_PAPER>No</PRINT_PAPER>
        <INTERNATIONAL_INTEREST>No</INTERNATIONAL_INTEREST>
        <AGENCY_CONTACT_LIST>
            <CONTACT>
                <FIRST_NAME>Kaye</FIRST_NAME>
                <LAST_NAME>Pestaina</LAST_NAME>
                <MIDDLE_NAME>L.</MIDDLE_NAME>
                <TITLE>Office of Consumer Support</TITLE>
                <AGENCY>
                    <CODE>0950</CODE>
                </AGENCY>
                <PHONE>301 492-4227</PHONE>
                <EMAIL>kaye.pestaina@hhs.gov</EMAIL>
                <MAILING_ADDRESS>
                    <STREET_ADDRESS>200 Independence Avenue SW.,</STREET_ADDRESS>
                    <CITY>Washington</CITY>
                    <STATE>DC</STATE>
                    <ZIP>20201</ZIP>
                </MAILING_ADDRESS>
            </CONTACT>
        </AGENCY_CONTACT_LIST>
    </RIN_INFO>
</REGINFO_RIN_DATA>
