Consolidated Appropriations Act Transparency Tool - Employer Action Required

As you are aware, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, via the Transparency in Coverage Rules (TIC), requires health plans to have an online tool to compare prices for 500 designated “shoppable” services by January 1, 2023. The internet-based tool must allow plan enrollees to search for information by certain elements, such as billing codes, descriptive terms, and in-network providers. Enrollees must be able to refine and reorder their search by geography and the amount of cost-sharing responsibility. Recognizing that our clients would need assistance in developing and maintaining a shoppable transparency tool, Diversified Group has partnered with TALON Health Tech to effectively and efficiently meet the requirements of the transparency rule. TALON is a pioneer in the online transparency arena and has had a large presence for many years with their flagship transparency and incentive tool, My Medical Shopper. The transparency tool that is managed and hosted by TALON will mean that you have met your Consolidated Appropriations Act/Transparency in Coverage Rules responsibility to allow your employees access to a compliant shopping tool which includes real time accumulator and plan design integration.

The tool is up and running and ready for members to access. By law, the TIC rule requires that plan sponsors/employers notify their employees of the shopping tool, including how to access it and activate an account to allow shopping. To aid you in this communication, we have attached a few communication pieces including an overview of the shopping tool, how to access the tool via the Diversified website or via the TALON App. Our best practices advice is that this communication should be done as soon as possible and then at least once per year and to new hires. These can be emailed, posted on an accessible intranet site, hard copy handouts, or included with paychecks.

We suggest creating an introduction to accompany the attachments when you distribute them. A sample is below, but feel free to add your own touches!

The transparency in coverage rules of 2020 require all employers to make a cost comparison/shopping tool available to their employees by January 1, 2023. In response to the rule, we have partnered with Diversified Group and TALON’s MyMedicalShopper to effectively and efficiently meet the requirement of these rules by allowing access to a robust and dynamic service shopping tool effective January 1st. We are pleased to let you know that you can access the MyMedicalShopper tool two ways – via the Diversified Group website or by downloading the TALON MyMedicalShopper app from the app store. You will need to set up an account with your name, email and Diversified Group ID number (do this via the MyMedicalShopper link on the Diversified website homepage first, even if you plan to download and use the app – you’ll need an account set up to use the app). Once your account is set up, you have full access to the tool and can begin shopping for low cost, high quality healthcare! You’ll be surprised at the variations in cost!

The attached flyers include a short shopping video and information on how to set up your account.