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Framework mapping

Map CMS MARS-E requirements to traceable proof your team already maintains

CMS MARS-E v2.2 defines the minimum acceptable risk standards for health insurance exchange systems under the ACA. Aurora links all 377 requirements to governed controls, evidence, and approval workflows so your team can answer CMS reviewers with a current, defensible record instead of a last-minute rebuild.
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Test assertions

Aurora organizes your evidence and maps it to framework requirements. It does not certify compliance, replace assessors, or guarantee audit outcomes.

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Automated
Published by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesLatest: v2.2Mapping updated May 3, 2026View official source
Aurora maps CMS MARS-E requirements to controls and evidence specifications. Mapping does not constitute certification, legal advice, or a guarantee of compliance. Consult qualified counsel or an accredited assessor for formal attestation.

Evidence automation

How CMS MARS-E Evidence Gets Collected

Aurora maps framework requirements to evidence specifications with defined collection methods, cadence, and integration sources.

Collection methods
257evidence specs defined
260automated0manual
Collection cadence
257 scheduled
1Hourly13Daily1Weekly2Monthly47Quarterly46Semi-annual147Annual
Connected sources
27
BC/DR Program OwnerGRCRisk ManagementService OwnersAWSAzureBitdefender GravityzoneCrowdStrike FalconGCPGoogle WorkspaceIntuneJamf ProJumpCloudKandjiKnowBe4Microsoft Entra / M365OktaPing Identity GovernancePingoneQualysRipplingSentinelOneSplunkTenable.ioTriNetWizWorkday

Control depth

Control Domains Mapped for CMS MARS-E

Each mapped control carries evidence specifications, test assertions, and implementation guidance. Overlapping controls are reused across frameworks.

97of 198
Aurora controls mapped
Coverage
49%
Control domains
20 domains
Privacy
1515%
Data Protection
1414%
Governance
99%
Access Control
88%
Business Continuity
66%
Endpoint Security
55%
Secure Software Development
55%
Incident Response
55%

At a glance

What Teams Need to Know About CMS MARS-E

Best for

Teams aligning to a published standard without rebuilding controls and evidence for each review cycle.

Reviewers expect

Mapped requirements, linked evidence, approval history, and structured exports for CMS MARS-E reviews.

Where teams stall

Rebuilding control mappings and chasing evidence for each CMS MARS-E review cycle instead of reusing a current record.

Governed exports
  • Control matrix
  • Evidence package
  • Reviewer portal access
  • Audit-period exports

The cost of rebuilding proof

What Changes When You Stop Rebuilding for CMS MARS-E

Teams that manage CMS MARS-E manually rebuild the record every cycle. Aurora turns that into a repeatable, governed motion.

Review prep
Without Aurora

Weeks of manual evidence gathering, spreadsheet reconciliation, and last-minute scrambles before each review window.

With Aurora

Evidence stays linked to controls with freshness tracking, so the package is current before the reviewer asks.

Cross-framework reuse
Without Aurora

Separate evidence packages for each framework, even when controls overlap with FISMA, HIPAA, or SOC 2.

With Aurora

Shared controls carry the same governed evidence across every framework, collected once and reused.

Reviewer handoff
Without Aurora

Loose attachments over email, no audit trail, no way to know what the reviewer actually accessed.

With Aurora

Structured exports or Trust Center access with activity logs, scoped permissions, and point-in-time snapshots.

Gap visibility
Without Aurora

Gaps discovered during the review, too late to fix without delaying the timeline.

With Aurora

Continuous coverage signals flag missing evidence, stale artifacts, and unmapped requirements between cycles.

Lifecycle signals

How Aurora Keeps CMS MARS-E Current

Automated signals track evidence freshness, detect coverage gaps, and surface upcoming deadlines so teams stay ahead of review windows.

Core signals
Evidence freshness tracking

Alerts when evidence artifacts approach expiration so nothing goes stale before review

Automation gap detection

Identifies controls without automated evidence collection and flags manual bottlenecks

Training assignments

Links training requirements to framework controls with completion tracking

Assessment readiness

Tracks question coverage and approved answers across review cycles

Remediation tracking

Gap-to-fix workflows with owner assignment and resolution timelines

Policy governance

Approval workflows, version tracking, and clause mapping for policy artifacts

Regulatory signals
Available for regulatory frameworks
Calendar deadlines

Review window and renewal date tracking with advance alerts

Regulatory frameworks
Incident response timelines

Regulatory notification and response window tracking with escalation paths

Regulatory frameworks

From request to handoff

How Teams Stay Review-Ready Between Cycles

Aurora turns one named framework request into a repeatable operating motion your team can maintain between audits, buyer reviews, and renewals.

01
Scope the exact version
Start with the CMS MARS-E version your reviewer or buyer already asked for so the record matches the request in front of you.
02
Reuse the controls you already trust
Map overlapping requirements to the same governed control library instead of rebuilding the program around one framework.
03
Keep proof current between cycles
Attach evidence with owners, freshness expectations, and reminders so the package stays current while the business keeps moving.
04
Capture approvals and decisions
Keep policy approvals, exceptions, and review history linked to the same record so reviewers see the operating context, not just files.
05
Hand off a clean reviewer package
Share structured access or export a scoped package with mappings, evidence context, and timestamps already intact.

Supported versions

Mapped Versions of CMS MARS-E

Latest
v2.2
Source
377
Requirements
97
Controls
257
Evidence
1,453
Tests
27
Sources
20
Domains
Framework request

Don't See Your Framework?

If a framework, regulation, or customer requirement is blocking your deal, bring it. We scope feasibility, assess overlap with your existing program, and map a rollout path, usually in one call.

Step 1
Share the requirement

Name the framework, version, and review timeline so we confirm scope before anything else.

Step 2
We assess the overlap

Your existing controls, evidence, and mappings in Aurora are compared against the new requirement to quantify what carries over.

Step 3
Get a clear answer

Leave the call with a feasibility decision, rollout timeline, and next steps. Not a follow-up form.

Common questions

CMS MARS-E Questions, Answered Plainly

Who needs CMS MARS-E compliance?
Any state-based or federally facilitated health insurance exchange, as well as contractors and subcontractors handling exchange data, must meet MARS-E requirements. Aurora maps these requirements so teams managing exchange infrastructure can prove compliance without rebuilding the package each review cycle.
How does CMS MARS-E relate to NIST 800-53 and FISMA?
MARS-E is built on NIST SP 800-53 controls tailored to ACA exchange environments. Aurora maps both frameworks into the same governed control library, so evidence collected for MARS-E can be reused across FISMA, FedRAMP, and other NIST-aligned reviews.
Can we reuse CMS MARS-E evidence for HIPAA and state exchange audits?
Yes. Overlapping controls stay in one governed system, so teams reuse the same evidence across CMS MARS-E, HIPAA, state-specific exchange requirements, and buyer diligence without duplicating proof.
What does a CMS reviewer actually receive?
Reviewers get structured access to mapped requirements, linked evidence artifacts, approval history, and point-in-time exports showing who owns the record, when it changed, and what supports each control.

Aurora does not guarantee certification, audit outcomes, or reviewer decisions. It organizes, tracks, and shares the evidence and mappings your team maintains.

Live walkthrough
Preparing for a CMS MARS-E review?
Share the version and review window your team is working toward. We will show how Aurora maps MARS-E into your existing control library, keeps evidence current, and gives CMS reviewers a clean, structured handoff.
15-minute walkthrough. No obligation. See Aurora applied to your workflow with the exact outputs reviewers receive. (No compliance guarantees.)