§ 156.520 Loan terms.

(a) Overview of Loans. Applicants may apply for the following loans under this section: Start-up Loans and Solvency Loans.

(1) Use of loans. All loans awarded under this subpart must be used in a manner that is consistent with the FOA, the loan agreement, and all other statutory, regulatory, or other requirements.

(2) Solvency loans. Solvency Loans awarded under this section will be structured in a manner that ensures that the loan amount is recognized by State insurance regulators as contributing to the State-determined reserve requirements or other solvency requirements (rather than debt) consistent with the insurance regulations for the States in which the loan recipient will offer a CO-OP qualified health plan.

(b) Repayment period. The loan recipient must make loan payments consistent with the approved repayment schedule in the loan agreement until the loan is paid in full consistent with State reserve requirements, solvency regulations, and requisite surplus note arrangements. Subject to their ability to meet State reserve requirements, solvency regulations, or requisite surplus note arrangements, the loan recipient must repay its loans and, if applicable, penalties within the repayment periods in paragraphs (b)(1), (b)(2), or (b)(3) of this section.

(1) The contractual repayment period for Start-up Loans and any applicable penalty pursuant to paragraph (c)(3) of this section is 5 years following each drawdown of loan funds consistent with the terms of the loan agreement.

(2) The contractual repayment period for Solvency Loans and any applicable penalty pursuant to paragraph (c)(3) of this section is 15 years following each drawdown of loan funds consistent with the terms of the loan agreement.

(3) Changes to the loan terms, including the repayment periods, may be executed if CMS determines that the loan recipient is unable to repay the loans as a result of State reserve requirements, solvency regulations, or requisite surplus note arrangements or without compromising coverage stability, member control, quality of care, or market stability. In the case of a loan modification or workout, the repayment period for loans awarded under this subpart is the repayment period established in the loan modification or workout. The revised terms must meet all other regulatory, statutory, and other requirements.

(c) Interest rates. Loan recipients will be charged interest for the loans awarded under this subpart. Interest will be accrued starting from the date of drawdown on the loan amounts that have been drawn down and not yet repaid by the loan recipient. The interest rate will be determined based on the date of award.

(1) Start-up Loans. Consistent with the terms of the loan agreement, the interest rate for Start-up Loans is equal to the greater of the average interest rate on marketable Treasury securities of similar maturity minus one percentage point or zero percent. If the loan recipient's loan agreement is terminated by CMS, the loan recipient will be charged the interest and penalty described in paragraph (c)(3) of this section.

(2) Solvency Loans. Consistent with the terms of the loan agreement, the interest rate for Solvency Loans is equal to the greater of the average interest rate on marketable Treasury securities of similar maturity minus two percentage points or zero percent. If a loan recipient's loan agreement is terminated by CMS, the loan recipient will be charged the interest and penalty described in paragraph (c)(3) of this section.

(3) Penalty payment. If CMS terminates a loan recipient's loan agreement because the loan recipient is not in compliance with program rules or the terms of its loan agreement, or CMS has reason to believe that the organization engages in, or has engaged in, criminal or fraudulent activities or activities that cause material harm to the organization's members or the government, the loan recipient must repay 110 percent of the aggregate amount of loans received under this subpart. In addition, the loan recipient must pay interest on the aggregate amount of loans received for the period the loans were outstanding equal to the average interest rate on marketable Treasury securities of similar maturity.

(d) Failure to pay. Loan recipients that fail to make loan payments consistent with the repayment schedule or loan modification or workout approved by CMS will be subject to any and all remedies available to CMS under law to collect the debt.

(e) Deeming of CO-OP qualified health plans. Health plans offered by a loan recipient may be deemed certified as a CO-OP qualified health plan to participate in the Exchanges for two years and may be recertified every two years for up to ten years following the life of any loan awarded to the loan recipient under this subpart, consistent with section 1301(a)(2) of the Affordable Care Act.

(1) To be deemed as certified to participate in the Exchanges, the plan must comply with the standards for CO-OP qualified health plans set forth pursuant to section 1311(c) of the Affordable Care Act, all State-specific standards established by an Exchange for qualified health plans operating in that Exchange, except for those State-specific standards that operate to exclude loan recipients due to being new issuers or based on other characteristics that are inherent in the design of a CO-OP, and the standards of the CO-OP program as set forth in this subpart.

(2) A loan recipient seeking to have a plan deemed as certified to participate in the Exchanges must provide evidence to CMS or an entity designated by CMS that the plan complies with the standards for CO-OP qualified health plans set forth pursuant to section 1311(c) of the Affordable Care Act, all State-specific standards established by an Exchange for qualified health plans operating in that Exchange, except for those State-specific standards that operate to exclude loan recipients due to being new issuers or based on other characteristics that are inherent in the design of a CO-OP, and the standards of the CO-OP program as set forth in this subpart.

(3) If a plan offered by a loan recipient is deemed to be certified to participate in the Exchanges or loses its deemed status and is no longer certified to participate in the Exchanges, CMS or an entity designated by CMS will provide notice to the Exchanges in which the loan recipient offers CO-OP qualified health plans.

(f) Conversions and voluntary terminations. (1) The loan recipient shall not convert or sell to a for-profit or non-consumer operated entity at any time after receiving a loan under this subpart. The loan recipient shall not undertake any transaction that would result in the CO-OP implementing a governance structure that does not meet the standards in this subpart.

(2) CMS may, in its sole discretion, approve a request by a loan recipient to voluntarily terminate its loan agreement with CMS, and cease to constitute a QNHII, for the purpose of permitting a loan recipient to pursue innovative business plans that are not otherwise consistent with the requirements of this subpart, provided that all outstanding CO-OP loans issued to the loan recipient are repaid in full prior to termination of the loan agreement, and CMS believes granting the request would meaningfully enhance consumer access to quality, affordable, member-focused, non-profit health care options in affected markets.

[76 FR 77411, Dec. 13, 2011, as amended at 77 FR 18474, Mar. 27, 2012; 89 FR 26426, Apr. 15, 2024]