On November 23, 2021, HHS issued instructions and supporting documents to report data under a transparency provision of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (CAA), which requires group health plans and insurers to annually report certain information regarding spending on prescription drugs and health care treatment to the government. These documents describe the data submission methods for plans and insurers for the 2020 calendar year ('reference year'). Additionally, the instructions and supporting documents explain who must report and when, as well as provide detailed explanations of spending categories, data aggregation rules by state and market segment, and rebate and fee allocation methods.
This material supplements the IRS, HHS and DOL interim final regulations outlining the content and timing requirements for the reports.
Fully insured plan sponsors will not be required to report but may need to work with the insurer on collecting data. Employer plan sponsors of self-insured plans should review agreements with third party administrators to determine reporting responsibility.