[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