The RDS Secure Website allows an individual to act in only one role at a time. If a Plan Sponsor wishes to assign a different role to a current user, it should keep the following things in mind:
- The Account Manager and Authorized Representative roles are assigned at the Plan Sponsor level. The Plan Sponsor must maintain an active and current Account Manager and Authorized Representative on the Plan Sponsor account to participate in the RDS Program. These roles may be reassigned to other individuals by the existing Account Manager and Authorized Representative. The new Account Manager or Authorized Representative has responsibilities for all applications associated with the Plan Sponsor.
IMPORTANT: Account Manager (AM) and Authorized Representative (AR) reassignments do not take effect immediately. Please complete all reassignments well ahead of Application and Reconciliation deadlines to ensure smooth transition. A newly appointed AM or AR can be granted access to the RDS Secure Website (SWS) on the same day that the role reassignment is performed. However, that person will not have access to the Plan Sponsor account itself, or any associated applications, until after the termination date of the previous AM/AR has passed. This means the new user cannot view or modify any information for that Plan Sponsor until at least the next day. When reassigning these roles, please remember:- New AMs & ARs cannot access the Plan Sponsor account on the same day the role is reassigned.
- Registration for a user account does not guarantee same day access.
- Termination Dates cannot be in the past.
- Reassigning a Designee or Actuary to an AM or AR role takes multiple days to complete.
- The AR role has critical functions that only they can perform.
- CMS’ RDS Center does not have a Call Center.
These major concepts are explained in detail in the Reassigning the Authorized Representative (AR) and Account Manager (AM) Roles Technical Article. Please review this material and plan ahead for your Application and Reconciliation Deadlines. Failure to do so may result in a missed deadline and possible loss of subsidy. For instructions on changing the Account Manager and Authorized Representative roles, refer to Reassign the Account Manager and Authorized Representative Roles in the RDS User Guide.
- A user terminated from a previous role may be reassigned as the Account Manager or Authorized Representative, as long as that user's previous user role has been terminated from all Plan Sponsors that he/she is associated with. Allow one day after the user's termination date before assigning the user the new role.
- The Designee role is assigned at the application level. If assigning a Designee to a different role, an Account Manager or Authorized Representative must first delete the user from all applications that he/she is associated with. Refer to Delete a Designee in the RDS User Guide for instructions. One day after the user is terminated from all applications, that user may be invited to register for his/her new role. For information on assigning a Designee, refer to Assign a Designee.