Advocacy in action blog

On June 22, The United States House of Representatives passed the NAIFA-supported Employer Reporting Improvement Act (H.R. 3801), which provides employers flexibility about what personal information they have to provide on behalf of their employees and their families. Additionally, it extends the appeal window for any potential violation and establishes a statute of limitations so small businesses operating with limited resources can continue their work with less of a burden.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has published its final marketing rule for Medicare Advantage (MA) and Medicare Part D (Part D) plans. Below you can read about key changes that will most impact NAIFA members, as well as some of NAIFA’s concerns that were addressed by CMS.

On April 19, U.S. Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and Mark Warner (D-VA) reintroduced the NAIFA-supported Securing and Enabling Commerce Using Remote and Electronic Notarization Act. This bipartisan bill would permit the nationwide use of Remote Online Notarizations (RONs), enabling notaries and signers to complete the process from different physical locations.

On February 27, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the NAIFA supported SECURE Notarization Act of 2023 by a voice vote. The bipartisan legislation was introduced earlier this month by U.S. Reps. Kelly Armstrong (R-N.D.) and Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.).

NAIFA joined in a letter of support to the House Financial Services Committee for efforts in introducing the Data Privacy Act of 2023. The Data Privacy Act would modernize the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA), a working data privacy framework for insurance consistent with consumer expectations.

A NAIFA comment letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) submitted comments suggesting changes to the CMS proposed rule titled ”2024 Notice of Benefits and Payment Parameters,” published in the Federal Register on December 21, 2022.  

This proposed rule includes proposed payment parameters and provisions related to the HHS-operated risk adjustment and risk adjustment data validation programs, as well as proposed 2024 user fee rates for issuers offering qualified health plans (QHPs) through Federally-facilitated Exchanges (FFEs) and State-based Exchanges on the Federal platform (SBE-FPs).

The U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R.500, the Financial Exploitation Prevention Act of 2023, by a bipartisan vote of 419-0 on January 30. H.R. 500 was introduced by Rep. Ann Wagner, (R-MO), Chairwoman of the House Financial Services subcommittee on Capital Markets. 

The RILA Act has cleared the hotline in the Senate (meaning all 100 Senators have agreed to allow it to pass). Next, bill sponsor Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) will try to add it to the end-of-the-day “wrap up” package along with all the other cleared bills, resolutions, and organizing agreements.

In May, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a Final Rule which revises the Medicare Advantage (Part C) program and the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit (Part D) program regulations to implement changes related to marketing and communications, past performance, Star Ratings, network adequacy, medical loss ratio reporting, special requirements during disasters or public emergencies, and pharmacy price concessions.

In May, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a Final Rule which revises the Medicare Advantage (Part C) program and the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit (Part D) program regulations to implement changes related to marketing and communications, past performance, Star Ratings, network adequacy, medical loss ratio reporting, special requirements during disasters or public emergencies, and pharmacy price concessions.