Common use of Partnership Activities Clause in Contracts

Partnership Activities. Arkansas is approaching development of its FFE Partnership in the most collaborative manner possible with DHHS. Within the state we are including all interested stakeholders in the process and seeking to use existing resources whenever possible. Our in-state collaboration includes other divisions with AID as well as other State agencies/departments including Medicaid (within the Arkansas Department of Human Services [ADHS]), the State’s Surgeon General and his staff at Arkansas Center for Health Improvement (ACHI), the Department of Information Services (DIS) and the Governor’s office. Representatives of these agencies and others in a health leadership role in our state meet with our CCIIO project officer and other CMS staff on a regular basis via teleconference or in person in an effort to xxxxxx full understanding and agreement on the manner in which AID is planning implementation of the FFE Partnership in Arkansas. Our relationship with CCIIO has been a healthy “back and forth”. Given that the FFE Partnership model was one of the later Exchange options identified, CMS is still working to finalize all the guidelines and regulations. And given that Arkansas was the first state to indicate a preference for the FFE Partnership, we have had the opportunity to ask specific questions prior to written direction and have had the opportunity on more than one occasion to voice our opinion on the preferred way to structure a particular operating procedure. The HBEPD team participates fully in conversations with CCIIO representatives on at least a weekly basis and more often by email. We also take full advantage of webinars and conference calls held by CCIIO staff to explain new requirements such as the Blueprint and this Level One funding opportunity. We plan to build on our Initial Planning Review with a Plan Management Design Review in September and Consumer Assistance Design Review soon thereafter. Plan Management Activities – The shared business functions of certifying, renewing and managing the QHPs available through the FFE in Arkansas are elements of Plan Management and will be the responsibility of the state in the FFE Partnership. State regulators and insurers need an efficient, effective and compliant means to submit and review health plans for certification and inclusion in the FFE. Currently, AID uses the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) System for Electronic Rate and Form Filling (SERFF) to support handling of insurance policy rate and form filings from Arkansas’ issuers. As reported earlier in this document, HBEPD is planning to utilize SERFF to provide a single point of interaction for Arkansas issuers to submit plans for certification and renewal and for Arkansas state regulators to certify, renew and manage QHPs participating in the Exchange. Using existing information technology investments will mitigate costs and lessen the burden to issuers of adapting to a new system. HBEPD staff is in continuous communication with NAIC, monitoring the progress of their SERFF modifications, participating in their user forums and making plans to test the changes at the appropriate time. Funds to support the use of SERFF were included in the Level One grant awarded February 2012 and appear sufficient to meet Arkansas’s needs. HBEPD has identified the need for additional funding under this Level One grant application in two Plan Management areas:  The addition of a full time staff position in the role of Insurance Compliance Officer. Using the certification criteria established for QHPs and the rules promulgated by AID and CCIIO, this person will review each plan applying to be a QHP and offer products on the FFE. S/He will be the lead user of SERFF within the Division and the one with primary responsibility for uploading an approved, certified plan to the FFE. S/He will also monitor plan performance, participate in recertification activities and, as needed, decertification activities for all plans available to Arkansans via the FFE. This position will work under the direction and supervision of the Plan Management Specialist.  The continuation of Plan Management consultation services being provided by Public Consulting Group (PCG) – As discussed earlier in this document, PCG has provided extensive consultation to HBEPD and in particular the PMAC in the form of issue briefs, facilitated sessions in person, conference calls and meetings with CCIIO/CMS. Their current contract under the previous Level One Grant was for planning how Arkansas could best implement the Plan Management activities of an FFE Partnership. AID would like to continue PCG’s contract to maintain continuity and their expertise as we now implement the plans that have been made. Under this new contract PCG will: o Facilitate Qualified Health Plan Technical Assistance Workgroup to be formed in March 2013 for the purpose of serving as an interface between issuer administrators who are representing QHPs and AID staff. Scope of the workgroup will include responding to questions about the QHP application process and rules governing the QHP process, facilitating meetings bringing together AID and QHP staff, troubleshooting issues as the Arkansas FFE Partnership approaches launch date, and assisting AID with ongoing QHP launch planning and readiness assessment; o Assist AID in Development of Operational QHP Policy and Procedures to updating AID publications and bulletins as necessary. PCG will assist AID staff by identifying QHP requirements that need to be reflected in agency publications. PCG will then assist with the drafting and review of the materials to assure compliance with federal rules and Arkansas Partnership policy. o Prepare a QHP Implementation Review tool for reviewing the short and longer term success of the QHP launch. This will involve review of the stages of design and development to assure goals and objectives of these phases were met. Further, PCG will prepare tools to measure consumer satisfaction with the QHP process, both in terms of clarity of information provided about the QHPs and the ease of identifying and selecting optimal plans. The purpose of designing these tools before launch will be to have them ready for immediate assessment of the QHP process from Day 1 launch forward in order to gather feedback in time-sensitive ways.

Partnership Activities. Arkansas is approaching the development of its FFE Partnership SPM in the most collaborative manner possible with DHHSHHS and state partners. Within the state we are including all interested stakeholders in the process and seeking to use leverage existing resources whenever possible. Our in-state collaboration includes other divisions with within AID as well as other State state agencies/departments including Medicaid (within the Arkansas Department of Human Services [ADHS]Services), the State’s Surgeon General and his staff at the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement (ACHI)Improvement, the Department of Information Services (DIS) and Systems, the Department of Health, the Department of Higher Education, the Arkansas Minority Health Commission, the Governor’s office, and members and committees of the Arkansas Legislature. Representatives of these agencies and others in a health leadership role in our state state, including AHCD, meet with our CCIIO project officer and officer, other CMS staff or HHS staff, and Arkansas legislators on a regular basis via teleconference or in person in an effort to xxxxxx full understanding and agreement on the manner in which AID is planning implementation of the FFE Partnership SPM in Arkansas. Our cooperative relationship with CCIIO has been fostered a healthy “back and forth”” productive dialogue and exchange of ideas. Given that the FFE Partnership SPM model was one of the later Exchange Marketplace options identified, CMS is still working to finalize has worked hard toward finalizing all the guidelines and regulations. And And, given that Arkansas was the first state to indicate a preference for the FFE PartnershipSPM, we have had the opportunity to ask specific questions prior to written direction and have had the opportunity on more than one occasion to voice our opinion on the preferred way to structure a particular operating procedure. The HBEPD AHCD team participates fully in conversations with CCIIO representatives on at least a weekly basis and more often by emaile-mail. We also take full advantage of webinars and conference calls held by CCIIO staff to explain new requirements such as the Blueprint and this Level One funding opportunity. We plan to build on our Initial Planning Review with a Plan Management Our successful Design Review in September and Consumer Assistance Design Review soon thereafter. Plan Management Activities – The shared business functions of certifying, renewing and managing the QHPs available through the FFE in Arkansas are elements of October 2012 for both Plan Management and will be Consumer Assistance, the responsibility approval of our Blueprint Application in January, and positive feedback from our Implementation Review in June 2013 have further resolved us toward meeting the state in goal of providing affordable and quality insurance to the FFE Partnershippeople of Arkansas. State regulators We look forward to further cooperation and insurers need an efficient, effective and compliant means to submit and review health plans for certification and inclusion in the FFE. Currently, AID uses the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) System for Electronic Rate and Form Filling (SERFF) to support handling of insurance policy rate and form filings guidance from Arkansas’ issuers. As reported earlier in this document, HBEPD is planning to utilize SERFF to provide a single point of interaction for Arkansas issuers to submit plans for certification and renewal and for Arkansas state regulators to certify, renew and manage QHPs participating in the Exchange. Using existing information technology investments will mitigate costs and lessen the burden to issuers of adapting to a new system. HBEPD staff is in continuous communication with NAIC, monitoring the progress of their SERFF modifications, participating in their user forums and making plans to test the changes at the appropriate time. Funds to support the use of SERFF were included in the Level One grant awarded February 2012 and appear sufficient to meet Arkansas’s needs. HBEPD has identified the need for additional funding under this Level One grant application in two Plan Management areas:  The addition of a full time staff position in the role of Insurance Compliance Officer. Using the certification criteria established for QHPs and the rules promulgated by AID and CCIIO, this person will review each plan applying to be a QHP partner state agencies and offer products on the FFE. S/He will be the lead user of SERFF within the Division and the one with primary responsibility for uploading an approved, certified plan to the FFE. S/He will also monitor plan performance, participate in recertification activities and, as needed, decertification activities for all plans available to Arkansans via the FFE. This position will work under the direction and supervision of the Plan Management Specialist.  The continuation of Plan Management consultation services being provided by Public Consulting Group (PCG) – As discussed earlier in this document, PCG has provided extensive consultation to HBEPD and in particular the PMAC in the form of issue briefs, facilitated sessions in person, conference calls and meetings with CCIIO/CMS. Their current contract under the previous Level One Grant was for planning how Arkansas could best implement the Plan Management activities of an FFE Partnership. AID would like to continue PCG’s contract to maintain continuity and their expertise as we now implement the plans that have been made. Under this new contract PCG will: o Facilitate Qualified Health Plan Technical Assistance Workgroup to be formed in March 2013 for the purpose of serving as an interface between issuer administrators who are representing QHPs and AID staff. Scope of the workgroup will include responding to questions about the QHP application process and rules governing the QHP process, facilitating meetings bringing together AID and QHP staff, troubleshooting issues as the Arkansas FFE Partnership approaches launch dategovernment officials, and assisting AID with ongoing QHP launch planning and readiness assessment; o Assist AID stakeholders in Development of Operational QHP Policy and Procedures to updating AID publications and bulletins as necessary. PCG will assist AID staff by identifying QHP requirements that need to be reflected in agency publications. PCG will then assist with multiple capacities across the drafting and review of the materials to assure compliance with federal rules and Arkansas Partnership policy. o Prepare a QHP Implementation Review tool for reviewing the short and longer term success of the QHP launch. This will involve review of the stages of design and development to assure goals and objectives of these phases were met. Further, PCG will prepare tools to measure consumer satisfaction with the QHP process, both in terms of clarity of information provided about the QHPs and the ease of identifying and selecting optimal plans. The purpose of designing these tools before launch will be to have them ready for immediate assessment of the QHP process from Day 1 launch forward in order to gather feedback in time-sensitive waysstate.

Partnership Activities. Arkansas is approaching development of its FFE Partnership in the most collaborative manner possible with DHHS. Within the state we are including all interested stakeholders in the process and seeking to use existing resources whenever possible. Our in-state collaboration includes other divisions with AID as well as other State agencies/departments including Medicaid (within the Arkansas Department of Human Services [ADHS]), the State’s Surgeon General and his staff at Arkansas Center for Health Improvement (ACHI), the Department of Information Services (DIS) and the Governor’s office. Representatives of these agencies and others in a health leadership role in our state meet with our CCIIO project officer and other CMS staff on a regular basis via teleconference or in person in an effort to xxxxxx full understanding and agreement on the manner in which AID is planning implementation of the FFE Partnership in Arkansas. Our relationship with CCIIO has been a healthy “back and forth”. Given that the FFE Partnership model was one of the later Exchange options identified, CMS is still working to finalize all the guidelines and regulations. And given that Arkansas was the first state to indicate a preference for the FFE Partnership, we have had the opportunity to ask specific questions prior to written direction and have had the opportunity on more than one occasion to voice our opinion on the preferred way to structure a particular operating procedure. The HBEPD team participates fully in conversations with CCIIO representatives on at least a weekly basis and more often by email. We also take full advantage of webinars and conference calls held by CCIIO staff to explain new requirements such as the Blueprint and this Level One funding opportunity. We plan to build on our Initial Planning Review with a Plan Management Design Review in September and Consumer Assistance Design Review soon thereafter. Plan Management Activities – The shared business functions of certifying, renewing and managing the QHPs available through the FFE in Arkansas are elements of Plan Management and will be the responsibility of the state in the FFE Partnership. State regulators and insurers need an efficient, effective and compliant means to submit and review health plans for certification and inclusion in the FFE. Currently, AID uses the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) System for Electronic Rate and Form Filling (SERFF) to support handling of insurance policy rate and form filings from Arkansas’ issuers. As reported earlier in this document, HBEPD is planning to utilize SERFF to provide a single point of interaction for Arkansas issuers to submit plans for certification and renewal and for Arkansas state regulators to certify, renew and manage QHPs participating in the Exchange. Using existing information technology investments will mitigate costs and lessen the burden to issuers of adapting to a new system. HBEPD staff is in continuous communication with NAIC, monitoring the progress of their SERFF modifications, participating in their user forums and making plans to test the changes at the appropriate time. Funds to support the use of SERFF were included in the Level One grant awarded February 2012 and appear sufficient to meet Arkansas’s needs. HBEPD has identified the need for additional funding under this Level One grant application in two Plan Management areas:  • The addition of a full time staff position in the role of Insurance Compliance Officer. Using the certification criteria established for QHPs and the rules promulgated by AID and CCIIO, this person will review each plan applying to be a QHP and offer products on the FFE. S/He will be the lead user of SERFF within the Division and the one with primary responsibility for uploading an approved, certified plan to the FFE. S/He will also monitor plan performance, participate in recertification activities and, as needed, decertification activities for all plans available to Arkansans via the FFE. This position will work under the direction and supervision of the Plan Management Specialist.  • The continuation of Plan Management consultation services being provided by Public Consulting Group (PCG) – As discussed earlier in this document, PCG has provided extensive consultation to HBEPD and in particular the PMAC in the form of issue briefs, facilitated sessions in person, conference calls and meetings with CCIIO/CMS. Their current contract under the previous Level One Grant was for planning how Arkansas could best implement the Plan Management activities of an FFE Partnership. AID would like to continue PCG’s contract to maintain continuity and their expertise as we now implement the plans that have been made. Under this new contract PCG will: o Facilitate Qualified Health Plan Technical Assistance Workgroup to be formed in March 2013 for the purpose of serving as an interface between issuer administrators who are representing QHPs and AID staff. Scope of the workgroup will include responding to questions about the QHP application process and rules governing the QHP process, facilitating meetings bringing together AID and QHP staff, troubleshooting issues as the Arkansas FFE Partnership approaches launch date, and assisting AID with ongoing QHP launch planning and readiness assessment; o Assist AID in Development of Operational QHP Policy and Procedures to updating AID publications and bulletins as necessary. PCG will assist AID staff by identifying QHP requirements that need to be reflected in agency publications. PCG will then assist with the drafting and review of the materials to assure compliance with federal rules and Arkansas Partnership policy. o Prepare a QHP Implementation Review tool for reviewing the short and longer term success of the QHP launch. This will involve review of the stages of design and development to assure goals and objectives of these phases were met. Further, PCG will prepare tools to measure consumer satisfaction with the QHP process, both in terms of clarity of information provided about the QHPs and the ease of identifying and selecting optimal plans. The purpose of designing these tools before launch will be to have them ready for immediate assessment of the QHP process from Day 1 launch forward in order to gather feedback in time-sensitive ways.

Partnership Activities. Arkansas is approaching development of its FFE State Partnership Exchange in the most collaborative manner possible with DHHS. Within the state we are including all interested stakeholders in the process and seeking to use leverage existing resources whenever possible. Our in-state collaboration includes other divisions with within AID as well as other State agencies/departments including Medicaid (within the Arkansas Department of Human Services [ADHS]), the State’s Surgeon General and his staff at Arkansas Center for Health Improvement (ACHI), the Department of Information Services (DIS), the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) and the Governor’s office. Representatives of these agencies and others in a health leadership role in our state meet with our CCIIO project officer and other CMS or DHHS staff on a regular basis via teleconference or in person in an effort to xxxxxx full understanding and agreement on the manner in which AID is planning implementation of the FFE State Partnership Exchange in Arkansas. Our relationship with CCIIO has been a healthy “back and forth”. Given that the FFE State Partnership Exchange model was one of the later Exchange options identified, CMS is still working to finalize all the guidelines and regulations. And given that Arkansas was the first state to indicate a preference for the FFE PartnershipState Partnership Exchange, we have had the opportunity to ask specific questions prior to written direction and have had the opportunity on more than one occasion to voice our opinion on the preferred way to structure a particular operating procedure. The HBEPD team participates fully in conversations with CCIIO representatives on at least a weekly basis and more often by email. We also take full advantage of webinars and conference calls held by CCIIO staff to explain new requirements such as the Blueprint and this Level One funding opportunity. We plan to build Building on our Initial Planning Review with a Plan Management successful Design Review in September October 2012 for both Plan Management and Consumer Assistance and the approval of our Blueprint Application in January, we anticipate another Design Review soon thereafterand an Implementation Review with CCIIO prior to the beginning of Open Enrollment in October 2013. Plan Management Activities – The shared business functions of certifying, renewing and managing the QHPs available through the FFE Health Insurance Marketplace in Arkansas are elements of Plan Management and will be the responsibility of the state in the FFE Partnership. State regulators and insurers need an efficient, effective and compliant means to submit and review health plans for certification and inclusion in the FFE. Currently, AID uses the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) System for Electronic Rate and Form Filling (SERFF) to support handling of insurance policy rate and form filings from Arkansas’ issuersPartnership Exchange operating Plan Management functions. As reported earlier in this document, HBEPD is planning to utilize will use SERFF to provide a single point of interaction for Arkansas issuers to submit plans for certification and renewal and for Arkansas state regulators to certify, renew and manage QHPs participating in the Exchange. Using existing information technology investments will mitigate costs and lessen the burden to issuers of adapting to a new system. HBEPD staff is and contractors are in continuous communication with NAIC, monitoring the progress of their SERFF modifications, participating in their user forums and making plans to test the changes at the appropriate time. Funds to support the use of SERFF were included in the Level One grant awarded February 2012 and appear sufficient to meet Arkansas’s needs. HBEPD has identified the need for additional funding under this Level One grant application in two three Plan Management areas:  • The addition funding of a full time dedicated staff position in AID’s Life and Health (L&H) Division in the role of Insurance Compliance OfficerPlan Approval Specialist. Using the certification criteria established for QHPs and the rules promulgated by An experienced, qualified individual already on staff at AID and CCIIO, (Xxxxx Xxxxxxx) has been identified to assume this person will review each plan applying to be a QHP and offer products on the FFEposition full time. S/He She will be responsible for reviewing health insurance contracts, endorsements, rates and rules for compliance with Arkansas Insurance Code and QHP requirements for inclusion in the lead user of SERFF within the Division and the one with primary responsibility for uploading an approved, certified plan to the FFE. S/He will also monitor plan performance, participate in recertification activities and, as needed, decertification activities for all plans available to Arkansans via the FFEHealth Insurance Marketplace. This position will remain in the L&H Division of AID but she will work under the direction and supervision guidance of the HBEPD Plan Management SpecialistSpecialist in her full- time role addressing QHP certification, monitoring and ongoing improvements.  • The continuation of Plan Management consultation services being provided by Public Consulting Group (PCG) – As discussed earlier in this document, PCG has provided extensive consultation to HBEPD and in particular the PMAC in the form of issue briefs, facilitated sessions in person, conference calls and meetings with CCIIO/CMS. Their current contract under the previous Level One Grant was for planning how Arkansas could best implement the Plan Management activities of an FFE Partnership. B grant ends September 30, 2013 and AID would like to continue PCG’s contract to maintain continuity and their expertise as we now implement QHP certification processes, evaluate the success of the certification plans that we have been madeput in place and revised in preparation for Plan Year 2015 QHP certifications. Under this new contract PCG will: o Facilitate Qualified Health Plan Technical Assistance Workgroup Assist HBEPD and The PMAC in establishing Year 2 QHP Certification Criteria - In adopting “open marketplace versus active purchaser” policies for Year 1 QHP certification, AID authorized possible criteria for future years. These included flexibility to be formed establish network adequacy standards exceeding the federal minimum standards, engaging or requiring carriers to adopt specific quality improvement strategies, which may include participation in March 2013 for the purpose of serving as an interface between issuer administrators who are representing QHPs and AID staff. Scope of the workgroup will include responding to questions about the QHP application process and rules governing the QHP process, facilitating meetings bringing together AID and QHP staff, troubleshooting issues as the Arkansas FFE Partnership approaches launch datePayment Improvement Initiative, requirements for carriers to offer plans on a regional or statewide basis, limiting the number of plans offered within metal levels and assisting AID with ongoing establishing QHP launch planning performance benchmarks and readiness assessment; o Assist AID in Development of Operational QHP Policy and Procedures to updating AID publications and bulletins as necessaryquality standards that exceed federal minimum standards. PCG will assist AID staff by identifying QHP requirements that need develop issue briefs to be reflected in agency publications. PCG will then assist with the drafting and review of the materials to assure compliance with federal rules and Arkansas Partnership policy. o Prepare a QHP Implementation Review tool for reviewing the short and longer term success of the QHP launch. This will involve review of the stages of design and development to assure goals and objectives frame consideration of these phases were met. Furtherissues, PCG will prepare tools provide options and brief the PMAC and HBEPD staff to measure consumer satisfaction with the QHP process, both in terms of clarity of information provided about the QHPs and the ease of identifying and selecting optimal plans. The purpose of designing these tools before launch will be to have them ready for immediate assessment of the QHP process from Day 1 launch forward in order to gather feedback in time-sensitive waysfacilitate decision making.