Outbound MRF Distribution
What Are MRFs?
Machine Readable Files (MRFs) are JSON-formatted files that contain healthcare pricing information required by federal transparency regulations. TALON automatically generates outbound MRFs at the end of each month for every employer group with at least one enrolled member.
- Automatically generated monthly
- Separate page for each employer group
- Persistent URLs that don't change
- Includes all plans within each group
Process Goal
The primary goal is to ensure that Client Support Staff know how to access and share the URLs for outbound MRFs for employer groups. This enables proper distribution to plan sponsors and ensures compliance with transparency requirements.
Roles and Responsibilities
Key Roles in MRF Distribution
Responsible for orientation and technical guidance on MRF access and distribution processes.
Responsibilities:
- Orient staff on outbound MRF creation process
- Explain the monthly generation cycle
- Train on Employers table navigation
- Demonstrate Export Employers report functionality
- Provide technical support for URL distribution
Responsible for distributing outbound MRF URLs to employer groups and plan sponsors.
Responsibilities:
- Access MRF URLs through Support Dashboard
- Generate Export Employers reports
- Distribute URLs to employer groups
- Communicate with plan sponsors
- Maintain distribution records
Important Note
URL distribution is a one-time event per employer group because the URLs remain constant and do not change with monthly MRF updates. Once distributed, the same URL will always provide access to the most current MRF data.
Step-by-Step Process
Access the Support Dashboard and navigate to the Employers tab to view all employer groups and their associated MRF information.
Each employer group has its own dedicated MRF page containing all plans within that group. Review the MRF structure and available data before proceeding with distribution. Each page displays one employer group with MRFs for all plans within that group, showing the current month's data with direct access to the JSON files.
Generate the comprehensive Export Employers report that includes all outbound MRF URLs for easy distribution to clients and plan sponsors.
The export process results in a comprehensive report containing all employer groups and their corresponding MRF URLs, ready for distribution.
Export Process Details
Click the "Export Employers" button in the Support Dashboard
System generates a comprehensive report with all employer groups
Report includes MRF URLs for each employer group and plan
Download or copy URLs for distribution to plan sponsors
Distribution Best Practices
- One-Time Distribution: Remember that URLs are persistent and only need to be shared once per employer group
- Timely Communication: Distribute URLs promptly after employer group setup to ensure compliance readiness
- Clear Documentation: Provide context about MRF purpose and update frequency when sharing URLs
- Secure Sharing: Use secure channels when distributing URLs to maintain data security
- Record Keeping: Maintain records of which employer groups have received their URLs
- Support Availability: Ensure clients know how to contact support for MRF-related questions
Important Reminders
Always verify that employer groups have enrolled members before expecting MRF generation. The system only creates MRFs for groups with at least one enrolled member. If an expected MRF is missing, check the enrollment status first.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
MRF Not Generated
- Verify the employer group has at least one enrolled member
- Check that the monthly generation process has completed
- Confirm the group is active and properly configured
Export Report Issues
- Ensure you have proper permissions to access the export function
- Try refreshing the page and attempting the export again
- Contact technical support if export functionality is not working
URL Access Problems
- Verify the URL was copied correctly without truncation
- Check that the employer group configuration is complete
- Ensure the client's network allows access to TALON servers