Assignment
For this assignment, go to Regulations.gov and find the "Request for Information: Advanced Explanation of Benefits and Good Faith Estimate for Covered Individuals." Be sure to use the one with the ID: HHS-OS-2022-0008-0655.
Based on the Request for Information: Advanced Explanation of Benefits and Good Faith Estimate for Covered Individuals, answer the following:
A. What department posted this RFI?
B. When must comments be received by to be considered?
C. Why are comments being solicited? Answer this in your own words without quoting from the RFI.
D. Imagine that you are a new health care administrator at a level one trauma hospital, "Happy Hollow Hospital." Your hospital leadership has requested that you convene a small working group of no more than 6 individuals to draft comments on behalf of Happy Hollow Hospital.
Specifically, leadership has asked you to prepare comments in response to 2 categories of questions posed in the RFI:
I. Transferring Data From Providers and Facilities to Plans, Issuers, and Carriers
i. "What privacy concerns does the transfer of AEOB and GFE data raise, considering these transfers would list the individual's scheduled (or requested) item or service, including the expected billing and diagnostic codes for that item or service? Does the exchange of AEOB and GFE data create new or unique privacy concerns for individuals enrolled in a plan or coverage? Are there any special considerations that Departments should take into account regarding individuals who are enrolled in a plan or coverage along with other members of their household? How should the Departments and OPM address these concerns?"
II. Economic Impacts
i. "Specifically, the Departments and OPM are interested in estimates of the time and cost burdens on providers and facilities, and separately on plans, issuers, and carriers, for building and maintaining a standards-based API for the real-time exchange of AEOB and GFE data."
For this assignment you do not need to actually draft the comments. Rather, you need to explain in a few paragraphs, what type of positions (ex, Human Relations Director, or Quality Improvement Director) do you want to include on your working committee and what type of information are you expecting to acquire from each of these positions that will help you prepare comments on behalf of the Happy Hollow Hospital.
E. Leadership also asks you if the Happy Hollow Hospital can be reimbursed for the administrative costs of creating this working group and submitting comments. How do you respond to leadership?
F. Finally, If you were a new hospital administrator, how would you approach keeping up to date and informed about proposed federal rules and requests for information potentially impacting your facility?