[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 194 (Wednesday, October 7, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53923-53924]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-26876]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Care Financing Administration
[Document Identifier: HCFA-R-260]


Emergency Clearance: Public Information Collection Requirements 
Submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

AGENCY: Health Care Financing Administration.
    In compliance with the requirement of section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Health Care Financing 
Administration (HCFA), Department of Health and Human Services, is 
publishing the following summary of proposed collections for public 
comment. Interested persons are invited to send comments regarding this 
burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, 
including any of the following subjects: (1) The necessity and utility 
of the proposed information collection for the proper performance of 
the agency's functions; (2) the accuracy of the estimated burden; (3) 
ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to 
be collected; and (4) the use of automated collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology to minimize the information 
collection burden.
    We are, however, requesting an emergency review of the information 
collection referenced below. In compliance with the requirement of 
section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we have 
submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) the following 
requirements for emergency review. Due to the fact that the collection 
of this information is needed before the expiration of the normal time 
limits under OMB's regulations at 5 CFR, Part 1320, we are requesting 
an emergency review.
    The Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (BBA) included a number of quality 
assurance provisions for managed care organizations contracting with 
Medicare and Medicaid. The Quality Improvement System for Managed Care 
(QISMC), developed with the assistance of State and industry 
representatives, consists of a set of standards and guidelines that are 
designed to implement the BBA provisions and the regulations, HCFA-
1030-FC (which establishes the Medicare+Choice program) and HCFA-2001-P 
(which revises the Medicaid managed care program). For Medicare, the 
QISMC document is equivalent to a program manual. As such, the document 
simply represents HCFA's administrative interpretation of the 
Medicare+Choice requirements relating to an organization's operation 
and performance in the areas of quality measurement and improvement and 
the delivery of health care and enrollee services. These standards and 
guidelines are derivatives of the regulatory requirements, and are 
necessary to implement the requirements in a consistent manner. For 
Medicaid, the standards and guidelines are tools for States to use at 
their discretion in ensuring the quality of managed care organizations 
with Medicaid contracts. The QISMC standards for Medicaid managed care 
organizations parallel many of the BBA quality assurance provisions and 
were developed in conjunction with the regulation HCFA-2001-P. 
Therefore, while States are free to develop their own standard for 
Medicaid managed care organizations to meet the quality assurance 
provisions of the BBA, QISMC is a recommended vehicle for consistency 
and compliance with the BBA. Further, use of the QISMC

[[Page 53924]]

standards assures States that the quality standards they adopt most 
closely resemble the standards HCFA will be using with Medicare+Choice 
organizations.
    The purpose of this submission is to request approval of use of the 
QISMC standards and guidelines. It should be noted that QISMC was 
developed with State and industry participation. In this OMB 
submission, we are particularly soliciting comment on whether these 
QISMC standards impose additional reporting requirements beyond those 
explicitly articulated in regulations HCFA-1030-IFC and HCFA-2001-P. In 
the mean time we have assigned one token hour of burden for these 
requirements.
    HCFA is requesting OMB review and approval of this collection 
within ten working days of publication of this notice in the Federal 
Register, with a 180-day approval period. Written comments and 
recommendations will be accepted from the public if received by the 
individuals designated below by nine working days of the publication of 
this notice. During this 180-day period, we will publish a separate 
Federal Register notice announcing the initiation of an extensive 60-
day agency review and public comment period on these requirements. We 
will submit the requirements for OMB review and an extension of this 
emergency approval.
    Type of Information Request: New Collection.
    Title of Information Collection: Quality Improvement System for 
Managed Care.
    Form Number: HCFA-R-260 (OMB approval #: 0938-NEW)
    Use: The primary purpose of the QISMC standards and guidelines is 
to implement regulatory requirements relating to Medicare and Medicaid 
managed care organizations' operation and performance in the areas of 
quality measurement and improvement and the delivery of health care and 
enrollee services.
    Frequency: Annual.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit.
    Number of Respondents: 952 (450 Medicare and 502 Medicaid managed 
care organizations)
    Total Annual Responses: 952.
    Total Annual Hours Requested: 1 hour.
    To obtain copies of the supporting statement for the proposed 
paperwork collections referenced above, access HCFA's WEB SITE ADDRESS 
at http://www.hcfa.gov/regs/prdact95.htm, or E-mail your request, 
including your address and phone number, to P[email protected], or call 
the Reports Clearance Office on (410) 786-1326.
    Interested persons are invited to send comments regarding the 
burden or any other aspect of these collections of information 
requirements. However, as noted above, comments on these information 
collection and record keeping requirements must be mailed and/or faxed 
to the designees referenced below within nine working days of the 
publication of this notice in the Federal Register:

Health Care Financing Administration, Office of Information Services, 
Security and Standards Group, Division of HCFA Enterprise Standards, 
Room N2-14-26, 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21244-1850.Fax 
Number: (410) 786-0262, Attn: Louis Blank HCFA-R-260

      and,

Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and 
Budget, Room 10235, New Executive Office Building, Washington, DC 
20503, Fax Number: (202) 395-6974 or (202) 395-5167 Attn: Allison 
Herron Eydt, HCFA Desk Officer.

    Dated: September 18, 1998.
John P. Burke III,
HCFA Reports Clearance Officer, HCFA, Office of Information Services, 
Security and Standards Group, Division of HCFA Enterprise Standards.
[FR Doc. 98-26876 Filed 10-6-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-03-P