The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is developing an Out-of-Pocket (OOP) Cost Comparison Tool to help consumers make more informed choices about their health insurance coverage and help them pick a plan that will best meet their needs.

The proposed tool will allow shoppers in the Federally-facilitated Marketplaces (FFMs) to see estimates of total spending (including premiums and cost-sharing) across various health insurance plans. CMS anticipates it will be available to consumers for the 2016 annual open enrollment period (for coverage effective starting as soon as January 1, 2016).

Call for Public Comment

CMS has released a bulletin providing information and soliciting comments on the proposed tool, how it computes OOP cost, and how it would be incorporated into the FFMs’ web sites.We encourage all those in the HIV community to review the bulletin and submit your comments, and to share this call for input with your partners and constituents. Public input is welcome by sending comments by June 29, 2015 to: OutofPocketCostEstimator@cms.hhs.gov.The bulletin is available at: cms.gov/CCIIO/Resources/Regulations-and-Guidance/Downloads/OOP-Cost-Comparison-Tool-Bulletin_05-29-2015.pdf