(a) Statutory basis. This subpart implements section 1331(d)(1) and (3) of the Affordable Care Act regarding the transfer of Federal funds to a State's BHP trust fund and the Federal payment amount to a State for the provision of BHP.
(b) Scope and applicability. This subpart consists of provisions relating to the methodology used to calculate the amount of payment to a state in a given Federal fiscal year for the provision of BHP and the process and procedures by which the Secretary establishes a State's BHP payment amount.
(a) General calculation. The Federal payment for an eligible individual in a given Federal fiscal year is the sum of the premium tax credit component, as described in paragraph (a)(1) of this section, and the cost-sharing reduction component, as described in paragraph (a)(2) of this section.
(1) Premium tax credit component. The premium tax credit component equals 95 percent of the premium tax credit for which the eligible individual would have qualified had he or she been enrolled in a qualified health plan through an Exchange in a given calendar year, adjusted by the relevant factors described in paragraph (b) of this section.
(2) Cost-sharing reduction component. The cost-sharing reduction component equals 95 percent of the cost of the cost-sharing reductions for which the eligible individual would have qualified had he or she been enrolled in a qualified health plan through an Exchange in a given calendar year adjusted by the relevant factors described in paragraph (b) of this section.
(b) Relevant factors in the payment methodology. In determining the premium tax credit and cost-sharing reduction components described in paragraph (a) of this section, the Secretary will consider the following factors to determine applicable adjustments:
(1) Age of the enrollee;
(2) Income of the enrollee;
(3) Self-only or family coverage;
(4) Geographic differences in average spending for health care across rating areas;
(5) Health status of the enrollee for purposes of determining risk adjustment payments and reinsurance payments had the enrollee been enrolled in a qualified health plan through an Exchange;
(6) Reconciliation of the premium tax credit or cost-sharing reductions had such reconciliation occurred if an enrollee had been enrolled in a qualified health plan through an Exchange;
(7) Marketplace experience in other states with respect to Exchange participation and the effect of the premium tax credit and cost-sharing reductions provided to residents, particularly those residents with income below 200 percent of the FPL; and
(8) Other factors affecting the development of the methodology as determined by the Secretary.
(c) Annual adjustments to payment methodology. The Secretary will adjust the payment methodology on a prospective basis to adjust for any changes in the calculation of the premium tax credit and cost-sharing reduction components to the extent that necessary data is available for the Secretary to prospectively determine all relevant factors, as specified in paragraph (b) of this section.
(a) Proposed payment notice. (1) Beginning in FY 2015, the Secretary will determine and publish in a Federal Register document the BHP payment methodology for the next calendar year or, beginning in calendar year 2022, for multiple calendar years. Beginning in calendar year 2023—
(i) In years in which the Secretary does not publish a new BHP methodology, the Secretary will update the values of factors needed to calculate the Federal BHP payments via sub regulatory guidance, as appropriate.
(ii) In years that the Secretary publishes a revised payment methodology, the Secretary will publish a proposed BHP payment methodology upon receiving certification from the Chief Actuary of CMS.
(2) A State may be required to submit data in accordance with the published proposed payment document in order for the Secretary to determine the State's payment rate as described in paragraph (b) of this section.
(b) Final payment notice. (1) Beginning in calendar year 2023, in years that the Secretary publishes a revised payment methodology, the Secretary will determine and publish the final BHP payment methodology and BHP payment amounts in a Federal Register document.
(2) Calculation of payment rates. State payment rates are determined by the Secretary using the final BHP payment methodology, data requested in the proposed payment notice described in paragraph (a) of this section, and, if needed, other applicable data as determined by the Secretary.
(c) State specific aggregate BHP payment amounts—(1) Prospective aggregate payment amount. The Secretary will determine, on a quarterly basis, the prospective aggregate BHP payment amount by multiplying the payment rates described in paragraph (b) of this section by the projected number of enrollees. This calculation would be made for each category of enrollees based on enrollee characteristics and the other relevant factors considered when determining the payment methodology. The prospective aggregate BHP payment amount would be the sum of the payments determined for each category of enrollees for a State.
(2) Retrospective adjustment to state specific aggregate payment amount for enrollment and errors. (i) Sixty days after the end of each fiscal year quarter, the Secretary will calculate a retrospective adjustment to the previous quarter's specific aggregate payment amount by multiplying the payment rates described in paragraph (b) of this section by actual enrollment for the respective quarter. This calculation would be made for each category of enrollees based on enrollee characteristics and the other relevant factors considered when determining the payment methodology. The adjusted BHP payment amount would be the sum of the payments determined for each category of enrollees for a State.
(ii) Upon determination that a mathematical error occurred during the application or development of the BHP funding methodology, the Secretary will recalculate the state's BHP payment amount and make any necessary adjustments in accordance with paragraph (c)(2)(iv) of this section.
(iii) To the extent that the final payment notice described in paragraph (b) of this section permits retrospective adjustments to the state's BHP payment amount (due to the lack of necessary data for the Secretary to prospectively determine the relevant factors comprising the premium tax credit and cost-sharing reductions components of the BHP funding methodology), the Secretary will recalculate the state's BHP payment amount and make any necessary adjustments in accordance with paragraph (c)(2)(iv) of this section.
(iv) Any difference in the adjusted payment and the prospective aggregate payment amount will result in either:
(A) A deposit of the difference amount into the State's BHP trust fund; or
(B) A reduction in the upcoming quarter's prospective aggregate payment as described in paragraph (c)(1) of this section by the difference amount.
[79 FR 14140, Mar. 12, 2014, as amended at 87 FR 77742, Dec. 20, 2022]
HHS will make quarterly deposits into the state's BHP trust fund based on the aggregate quarterly payment amounts described in § 600.610(c).