Filing Guideline for Plan Year 2027 ACA Forms and Rates
Tennessee is a Federally Facilitated Marketplace (FFM) without an Effective Rate Review Program; carriers must follow the timeline set out by CMS:
PY2027 QHP Data Submission and Certification Timeline
| Activity | Dates |
|---|---|
| QHP Application data validation window opens | 4/15/26 |
| QHP Application submission window opens | 5/20/26 |
| CMS reviews QHP Application data as they are submitted and releases results for issuers and | 5/20/26 – 6/5/26 |
| HHS-approved QHP Enrollee Survey vendor securely submits the QHP Enrollee Survey response data to CMS on behalf of the QHP issuer 3 | 5/8/26 – 5/15/26 |
TDCI Form Filing and Binder Submission Deadline |
6/10/26 |
| Initial Application Deadline: Initial deadline for issuers to submit QHP Applications to CMS, including Plan ID Crosswalk data | 6/10/26 |
| CMS reviews initial QHP Applications and releases results for issuers and states to review | 6/11/26 – 7/10/26 |
| QHP issuer submits the validated Quality Rating System (QRS) clinical measure data, with attestation, to CMS via the National Committee for Quality Assurance’s (NCQA) Interactive Data Submission System (IDSS) 4 | 6/15/26 |
| Secondary Application Deadline: Deadline for issuers to submit their QHP Application Rates Table Templates to CMS; optional deadline for issuers to submit corrected QHP Application data to CMS | 7/15/26 |
| CMS reviews Rates Table Template data and resubmitted QHP Application data, and releases results for issuers and states to review | 7/16/26 – 8/7/26 |
| Issuers, State and Federally-facilitated Exchange administrators, and CMS preview the 2026 QHP quality rating information | Aug./Sept. 2026 |
| Issuer Plan Confirmation/Crosswalk Deadline: Issuers complete final plan confirmation and submit final Plan ID Crosswalk Templates | 8/5/26 – 8/19/26 |
| Final Application Deadline: Deadline for issuers to submit changes to their QHP Applications | 8/12/26 |
| CMS reviews QHP Applications and releases results for issuers and states to review | 8/13/26 – 9/8/26 |
| CMS sends QHP Certification Agreements to issuers | 9/8/26 |
| QHP Agreement Signing Deadline: Issuers return signed QHP Certification Agreements to CMS | 9/8/26 – 9/16/26 |
| State Plan Confirmation Deadline: States complete final plan confirmation | 9/8/26 – 9/16/26 |
| Limited data correction window | 9/10/26 – 9/11/26 |
| Machine-Readable/URL Deadline: Deadline for issuers’ machine-readable data to be posted and marketing URLs to be live and active | 9/16/26 |
| CMS releases certification notices to issuers and states | 9/29/26 –9/30/26 |
| Anticipated public display of QHP quality rating information | 11/1/26 |
| Open Enrollment begins | 11/1/26 |
CMS has finalized the Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters for PY2027, located here.
Templates
CMS has posted the relevant and required PY27 templates, including:
- Business Rules Template
- Network Adequacy Template
- Network ID Template
- Plan ID Crosswalk Template
- Plans & Benefits Add-In
- Plans & Benefits Template
- Prescription Drug Template
- Rates Table Template
- Service Area Template
- Transparency in Coverage Template
- Unified Rate Review Template
Filing Instructions:
- All filings to the State should be made via SERFF.
- Individual and small group filings may not be combined.
- Silver loading for CSRs must be included and limited to Marketplace QHPs
- Each plan variation, such as copay versus coinsurance, deductible only, or open or closed networks, must have a separate schedule page, rates, actuarial memorandum, and actuarial value calculation.
- Each variation does not require a separate filing but may be combined with the appropriate policy or certificate of coverage.
- There may be no language variations in the schedules, but the deductibles, copays, coinsurance, etc., may be bracketed with the range of number variables.
- Each filing must include the following information:
- Identification of where the plan will be sold (i.e., on/off exchange, both)
- Identification of the rating area(s) where the plan will be sold. A carrier participating in a designated rating area must make coverage available throughout the entire rating area.
- Identify metal level for each benefit design for a health plan (i.e., bronze, silver, gold, platinum).
- A separate schedule with the language for each plan design that is to be offered, numerical amounts may be bracketed.
- The Actuarial Value of each plan design must be submitted, including a screenshot of the Actuarial Value Calculator.