[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 214 (Thursday, November 5, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59795-59796]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-29677]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Care Financing Administration
[Collection # HCFA-R-265]


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

    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 (DHSS), 
has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) the 
following request for Emergency review. We are requesting an emergency 
review because the collection of this information is needed prior to 
the expiration of the normal time limits under OMB's regulations at 5 
C.F.R. Part 1320. We cannot reasonably comply with the normal clearance 
procedures because of the statutory requirement to implement section 
4016 of Balanced Budget Act of 1997.
    We are requesting OMB review and approval of this collection within 
11 working days, with a 180-day approval period. Written comments and 
recommendations will be accepted from the public if received by the 
individual designated below, within 10 working days of the publication 
of this notice in the Federal Register. During this 180-day period HCFA 
will pursue OMB clearance of this collection as stipulated by 5 C.F.R. 
section 1320.5.
    In order to fairly evaluate whether an information collection 
should be approved by OMB, section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA requires 
that we solicit comments on the following issues:
     The need for the information collection and its usefulness 
in carrying out the proper functions of our agency.
     The accuracy of our estimate of the information collection 
burden.
     The quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be 
collected.
     Recommendations to minimize the information collection 
burden on the affected public, including automated collection 
techniques.
    Therefore, we are soliciting public comment on each of these issues 
for the information collection summarized and discussed below.
    Type of Information Collection Request: New collection;
    Title of Information Collection: Medicare Coordinated Care 
Demonstration Project and Request for Information on Potential Best 
Practices of Coordinated Care;
    Form/Collection No.: HCFA-R-265;
    Use: Section 4016 of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (Public Law 
105-33) requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (the 
Secretary) to evaluate best practices in the private sector for methods 
of coordinated care. The statute also directs the Secretary to design a 
demonstration project for the Medicare fee-for-service population based 
on such evaluation.
    The purpose of the demonstration is to evaluate models of 
coordinated care that improve the quality of services provided to 
beneficiaries who have a chronic illness and reduce expenditures under 
Parts A and B of the Medicare program.
    We competitively awarded a task order to Mathematica Policy 
Research, Inc. (MPR) to conduct a review of best practices in 
coordinating care and provide a recommendation of demonstration design 
options. We will perform the final assessment of best practices and 
select the demonstration design.
    We will publish a notice to announce our intent to conduct the 
Medicare Coordinated Care Demonstration and inform interested parties 
of the opportunity to submit information on potential best practices of 
coordinated care, as well as comment on potential aspects of the 
overall demonstration. We will solicit information on successful models 
of coordinated care, disease management, or case management that are 
appropriate for the Medicare fee-for-service population.
    In the notice we will request that any person or organization 
submit information about successful programs; however, the information 
must provide evidence of success in sufficient detail to be useful. 
Thus, operators of programs may be in the best position to submit 
information regarding their approach. We are interested in the 
following items of information:

[[Page 59796]]

     The name and address of the program.
     The name, address, telephone number, facsimile number, and 
E-mail address of a contact person.
     Background information on the program (including goals, 
history, relationship to larger organization(s), number of clients 
served, and length of time the program has been in operation).
     Special or innovative features of the program.
     Size and composition of the staff (number of registered 
nurses and number of social workers performing case management).
     Referral sources, targeting criteria, and selection 
criteria, if any, for participants.
     Information on the patients the program serves, including 
age ranges, diagnoses or conditions, and/or functional impairments.
     Program intervention and how services differ from the 
usual care the patient would have received.
     How care plans are developed and monitored for each 
patient.
     Patient education efforts, if any.
     Patient monitoring efforts, if any.
     Feedback to providers, if any.
     Average length of time patient is in program.
     Funding source(s) for the program.
     Financial incentives, if any, for providers and patients 
to participate.
     Outcome measures by which the program's performance is 
evaluated (including clinical, utilization, client-reported, and 
financial measures used).
     Program impacts on these measures.
     Cost savings due to the program (total and per person 
served per month).
     How the program impacts and cost savings were calculated 
(i.e., method of estimating reduction in use and costs, such as 
comparison to control group or prior year experience).
     Costs of operating the program (average per patient, per 
month costs).
     Adaptability of the program to the Medicare fee-for-
service setting.
     Program brochures or published articles, if any.
    We are also interested in comments on potential aspects of the 
overall demonstration. Specifically, we are interested in comments that 
discuss and distinguish program characteristics known to be essential 
for positive outcomes in a fee-for-service setting from characteristics 
of lesser or unknown importance. Commenters may also wish to address 
the types of providers, organizations, or entities that are capable of, 
and qualified to provide, coordinated care or case management services. 
Other topics of importance include, but are not limited to:
     The relationship of the case management entity with other 
providers.
     The potential role of the case manager in authorizing and/
or providing services beyond coordinating and educational activities.
     Appropriate incentives for the case management entity, 
beneficiaries, and other providers.
     Appropriate payment methodology.
     Potential risk bearing arrangements for the case 
management entity.
    In addition, we will seek comments regarding challenges to, and 
potential solutions for, implementing a coordinated care demonstration 
in rural sites.
    Frequency: One time;
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit, not-for-profit 
institutions;
    Number of Respondents: 1,000;
    Total Annual Responses: 1,000;
    Total Annual Hours: 10,000.
    To obtain copies of the supporting statement and any related forms 
for the proposed paperwork collections referenced above, E-mail your 
request, including your address, phone number, and HCFA form number 
referenced above, 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 requirements must be mailed and/or faxed within 10 working 
days of the publication of this notice in the Federal Register to the 
designee referenced below:
    Health Care Financing Administration, Office of Information 
Services, Standards and Security Group, Division of HCFA Enterprise 
Standards, Room N2-14-26, 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21244-
1850.

Attn: Dawn Willinghan, HCFA-R-265, Fax Number: (410) 786-0262 and,
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and 
Budget, Room 10235, New Executive Office Building, Washington, DC 
20503, Attn: Allison Eydt, HCFA Desk Officer. Fax Number: (202) 395-
6974 or (202) 395-5167.

    Datedd: October 30, 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. 98-29677 Filed 11-4-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-03-P