The Department of Health and Human Services is accepting comments on a new proposed rule that would impact ACA health coverage for people across the country. This new rule would restrict coverage for essential health care, shorten the open enrollment period, and lead to greater barriers to accessing coverage across the board. The changes would affect affordability, eligibility and enrollment for millions of people. Individuals and organizations are encouraged to submit comments through the Federal Register by April 11, 2025.
Here are some Plain Language steps to prepare your comment*:
- Read and understand the regulatory document you are commenting on.
- Search for other statements and articles that explain the proposed changes.
- Be concise but support your claims. Base your arguments on strong reasoning, scientific facts, or how it affects you.
- You can address trade-offs and opposing views in your comment.
- There is no minimum or maximum length for an effective comment.
- The comment process isn’t a vote. A strong, well-supported comment can be more powerful than a thousand form letters.
Steps to submit a comment:
- Copy and paste your text in the comment box. You may also upload a comment as a file if you prefer.
- Identify what your comment is about in the dropdown menu. For example: Health Plan or Association.
- Identify yourself. You may comment as an individual or organization. You may also choose to remain anonymous.
- Consent to sharing your comment publicly.
Detailed Recommendations
- Comment periods close at 11:59 PM Eastern Time on the deadline date. Plan to start your work well in advance.
- Understand each issue clearly. If you have questions about the regulatory document, ask the agency contact listed in it for help. You can ask them about the document’s meaning. You must send official comments using the comment form. The contacts for this rule change are:
- Jeff Wu, (301) 492-4305
- Rogelyn McLean, (410) 786-1524
- Grace Bristol, (410) 786-8437)
- Point out the problems with the regulatory action you are commenting on in a clear manner. Provide the page number, column, and paragraph when you comment on a word, phrase, or sentence from the Federal Register document.
- If a rule brings up many issues, you don’t need to address them all. Focus on the ones that matter to you or that you understand best.
- Agencies often ask specific questions or point out issues in rulemaking proposals. This happens when they want more information on certain subjects. The agency will accept comments on any part of the proposed regulation. So, please keep these questions and issues in mind as you write your comment.
- Constructive comments are the most impactful. If you disagree with a proposed action, suggest an alternative. This can include not regulating at all. Explain how your alternative might achieve the same goal or be more effective.
- The comment process is not a vote. When you write a comment, it’s important to explain your reasons clearly. Use substantive data, facts, and/or expert opinions to support your position.
- Identify credentials and experience that may distinguish your comments from others. If you have personal or professional experience related to this topic, please mention it.
- Highlight personal examples of the negative or positive impacts that the proposed rule would have on you.
- Comments on the economic effects of rules are very useful. They should include both quantitative and qualitative data.
- Include the pros and cons and trade-offs of your position and explain them. You can consider different viewpoints and reply with facts and strong reasoning.
- If you upload multiple attachments to the comment web form, use the following file title format:
- Attachment1_<insert title of document>
- Attachment2_<insert title of document>
- Attachment3_<insert title of document>
Using this file naming system will help agency reviewers identify your attachments. It will also simplify the comment review process.
- Save a copy of your comment in a separate file. This way, you won’t lose it if there is an issue with the Regulations.gov web form.
After you submit your comment, the agency will process your comment and post it on Regulations.gov. Please note: Not all comments are publicly posted by the agency. Reasons for not posting the comment can include:
- The comment is part of a mass submission campaign or is a duplicate.
- The comment is incomplete.
- The comment is not related to the regulation.
- The comment has been identified as spam.
- The comment contains information that identifies the person.
- The comment contains profanity or other inappropriate language.
- The submitter requested that the comment not be posted.
This guidance is condensed from the Commenter’s Checklist on Regulations.gov. Read more about how to prepare effective comments.
Review public comment submissions on the ACA proposed rule changes here.