Health Insurance Marketplace Quality Initiatives

Update: CMS publishes Federal Register Notice seeking public comment on CMS’ intention to collect information using the QHP Enrollee Survey and Marketplace Survey. Comments due August 27, 2013.
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) authorizes the creation of Health Insurance Marketplaces to help individuals and small employers shop for, select, and enroll in high quality, affordable private health plans beginning October 2013. Only qualified health plans (QHPs) may be offered within the Marketplaces. The ACA requires HHS to develop quality data collection and reporting tools such as a Quality Rating System (QRS), a Quality Improvement Strategy (QIS) and an enrollee satisfaction survey system. The purposes of these tools include informing consumer choice of a QHP, informing QHP certification and monitoring QHP performance. HHS intends a phased approach to QHP specific quality reporting, beginning in 2016.
Surveys
The Affordable Care Act Section 1311(c)(4) requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop an enrollee satisfaction survey system that assesses consumer experience with qualified health plans (QHPs) offered through a Marketplace. It also requires public display of information by each Marketplace to allow individuals to assess enrollee experience among comparable plans. HHS intends to establish a Marketplace survey and a QHP enrollee survey that assesses consumer experience with the Marketplaces and the qualified health plans (QHPs) offered through the Marketplaces.
A Federal Register Notice was published on June 28, 2013, seeking public comment on CMS' intention to collect information from the public using the QHP Enrollee Survey and the Marketplace survey. Copies of the surveys have been included in the download sections below for your convenience. To provide comment or to obtain copies of the supporting statements, draft surveys in English and Spanish, notification letters to survey participants, and the participation form for prospective survey vendors, access CMS’ web site address at http://www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance/Legislation/PaperworkReductionActof1995/PRA-Listing.html, and enter the form number CMS-10488, or E-mail your request, including your address, phone number, OMB number, and CMS form number, to Paperwork@cms.hhs.gov, or call the Reports Clearance Office on (410) 786-1326. Comments must be received by August 27, 2013.