Office of the Secretary May 5, 2010 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This interim final rule with comment period (IFC) implements the Early Retiree Reinsurance Program, which was established by section 1102 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (the Affordable Care Act). The Congress appropriated funding of $5 billion for the temporary program. Section 1102(a)(1) requires the Secretary to establish this temporary program not later than 90 days after enactment of the statute, which is June 21, 2010. The program ends no later than January 1, 2014. The program provides reimbursement to participating employment-based plans for a portion of the cost of health benefits for early retirees and their spouses, surviving spouses and dependents. The Secretary will reimburse plans for certain claims between $15,000 and $90,000 (with those amounts being indexed for plan years starting on or after October 1, 2011). The purpose of the reimbursement is to make health benefits more affordable for plan participants and sponsors so that health benefits are accessible to more Americans than they would otherwise be without this program.

The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) executes the DoD Procurement Technical Assistance Program (PTAP) by awarding cost sharing cooperative agreements to assist eligible entities in establishing or maintaining procurement technical assistance centers (PTACs) pursuant to chapter 142 of title 10, United States Code. Eligible entities include States, local governments, private nonprofit organizations, tribal organizations and economic enterprises.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (the Affordable Care Act) was enacted on March 23, 2010. It requires the establishment of an internet Web site (hereinafter referred to as a Web portal) through which individuals and small businesses can obtain information about the insurance coverage options that may be available to them in their State. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is issuing this interim final rule in order to implement this mandate. This interim final rule adopts the categories of information that will be collected and displayed as Web portal content, and the data we will require from issuers and request from States, associations, and high risk pools in order to create this content.