Announcements

CMS’ RDS Center would like to remind RDS users that with the release of the modernized Secure Website (SWS) in April 2022, a new Copy Application feature is now available. Use this enhancement to create a new application by copying information from an existing prior application.

On Wednesday, August 31, 2022, CMS’ RDS Center posted an Announcement regarding an agency wide e-mail outage over the Labor Day holiday. Please be advised that the RDS Center is unable to receive inbound inquiries from end users using the rds@cms.hhs.gov e-mail address or Support Requests submitted through the RDS Secure Website at this time due to a technical issue. Outbound e-mails from the RDS Center are unaffected by this technical issue. CMS’ RDS Center is working diligently to resolve the technical issue with an estimated restoration of service by noon today, September 7, 2022.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will soon implement changes to the Retiree Drug Subsidy (RDS) Second Level Informal Hearing Appeals process.

CMS will be undertaking an agency e-mail transition over Labor Day weekend. As a result, RDS e-mail services will be unavailable from 6:00 p.m. ET on Friday, September 2, 2022 until 6:00 a.m. ET on Wednesday, September 7, 2022. Do not send e-mails or Support Requests to CMS’ RDS Center during this time, as they will not be delivered. Do not register for a user account during this window. Do not perform any User Management functions during this window (e.g., Password resets, role assignments, etc.).
 

In order to meet program requirements, RDS Plan Sponsors and RDS Actuaries will need to review the H.R.5376 Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 and 42 C.F.R. §423.884(d), and attest actuarial equivalence for their retirees. These revisions are applicable for Plan Years starting January 1, 2023 and thereafter.

Our latest enhancement is a new, automated Reconciliation Reset function in the Secure Website. Previously, Plan Sponsors in this scenario emailed a support request to CMS’ RDS Center to request that Reconciliation steps be reset so that new retiree data could be submitted. In the new, modernized Secure Website the Account Managers and Authorized Representative will be able to perform Reconciliation Resets themselves on the Finalize Covered Retirees page with just a few clicks.

CMS’ RDS Center is excited to announce the publication of a new RDS Secure Website Login Quick Start Guide illustrating how to log into the RDS Secure Website, and documenting best practices for maintaining an active RDS user account.

CMS’ RDS Center has updated a variety of resources on the RDS Public Website to remind and reinforce with Plan Sponsors the RDS Secure Website user roles that are required to submit a timely RDS application. 

CMS’ RDS Center has updated a wide variety of resources on the RDS Public Website with additional information about maintaining active user accounts, Secure Website login support, and CMS’ RDS Center’s Virtual Help Desk policies.

CMS' RDS Center will be performing system maintenance on the RDS Secure Website on Friday, June 24, 2022 beginning at 8:00PM ET and concluding Saturday, June 25, 2022 at 10:00AM ET. The Secure Website will be available but file processing will be impacted.