The H.R. 5376 Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) was signed into law by President Biden on August 16th, 2022. The IRA makes improvements to Medicare that will expand benefits, lower drug costs, keep prescription drug premiums stable, and improve the strength of the Medicare program. On August 25th, 2022, CMS’ RDS Center published guidance regarding the Retiree Drug Subsidy (RDS) program’s requirement of attestation of actuarial equivalence, per section 1860D-22(a)(2)(A) of the Social Security Act. More guidance will be published on the RDS Public Website as it becomes available.
CMS’ RDS Center wants to hear from you—the RDS users—about the impact of IRA on the RDS Plan Sponsor community. We are currently recruiting volunteers for Listening Sessions on this topic. If you are a current, active RDS Secure Website user assigned to at least one RDS Plan Sponsor account and/or application and are interested in participating in this initiative, please review the material below and email CMS’ RDS Center by Monday, April 3, 2023, to express your interest in volunteering.
CMS’ RDS Center Email Address: RDS@cms.hhs.gov
What to Expect
Listening Sessions will be offered Monday, April 17 through Friday, April 28, 2023. Listening Sessions will be conducted using Zoom. A Zoom account is not required to participate; however, registration for this event is required.
Only one volunteer will participate in each Listening Session. During the event, a CMS Facilitator will ask open ended questions about your Plan Sponsor organization, your current knowledge of the IRA, and how you think IRA will impact your Plan Sponsor organization and its participation in RDS. Volunteers will have the opportunity to ask questions, share opinions, and provide feedback. Additional CMS’ staff may attend Listening Sessions as note takers/scribes or observers. Listening sessions will typically last one hour but could last longer with your approval.
Please note that CMS’ RDS Center will not be providing guidance or information about the IRA during the Listening Sessions. We are interested in hearing what information and feedback you have at this time about the Inflation Reduction Act and how it may impact your RDS participation.
As an active RDS user, you are the Subject Matter Expert—SME for short—and we are here to learn from you. We will use this conversation to identify possible ways to improve RDS program materials, enhance the RDS Secure Website, and encourage continued Plan Sponsor participation in the program.
Participation in RDS Listening Sessions is voluntary. Responses will be strictly confidential; participants will remain anonymous, and no data collected during RDS Listening Sessions will be directly attributable individually or to a Plan Sponsor organization.
Ready to Help?
If you are a current, active RDS Secure Website user assigned to at least one RDS Plan Sponsor account and/or application and are interested in participating in this initiative, please email CMS’ RDS Center by Monday, April 3, 2023, to express your interest in volunteering.
Participants will be randomly selected from the respondents. Participation in a previous RDS Listening Session or Usability Testing Session does not preclude volunteers from being selected. If you are selected, CMS' RDS Center will email additional information about scheduling your Listening Session. A consent form must be signed and returned before the session. Participants will not be compensated.
CMS’ RDS Center Email Address: RDS@cms.hhs.gov
If you have additional questions, please contact CMS’ RDS Center. We look forward to hearing from you!