[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 203 (Thursday, October 19, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62724-62725]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-27028]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Care Financing Administration

[Document Identifier: HCFA-250 through HCFA-254]


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

AGENCY: Health Care Financing Administration, DHHS.
    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 
collections 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. We are requesting an emergency 
review because the collection of this information is needed before the 
expiration of the normal time limits under OMB's regulations at 5 CFR, 
Part 1320. A disruption in this collection activity may cause public 
harm. This is due to the potential and unnecessary loss to the Medicare 
Trust Fund as the result of the non-identification of health insurance 
coverage that is primary to Medicare. Collection of this information 
allows HCFA to identify those Medicare beneficiaries who have other 
group health insurance that would pay before Medicare, resulting in 
savings to the Medicare Trust Fund. The annual savings from the 
Medicare Secondary Payer (MSP) program are more than $3 billion per 
year.

Emergency Clearance

    HCFA is requesting OMB review and approval of this collection by 
November 24, 2000, with a 180-day approval period. Written comments and 
recommendations will be accepted from the public if received by the 
individuals designated below by November 23, 2000. 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: Revision of a currently approved 
collection; Title of Information Collection: Medicare Secondary Payer 
Information Collection

[[Page 62725]]

and Supporting Regulations in 42 CFR 411.25, 489.2, and 489.20; Form 
Number: HCFA-250 through HCFA-254 (OMB approval #: 0938-0214); Use: 
Medicare Secondary Payer (MSP) refers to those situations where 
Medicare does not have primary responsibility for paying the medical 
expenses of a Medicare beneficiary. Medicare intermediaries and 
carriers must collect information to perform various tasks to detect 
MSP cases, develop and disseminate tools to enable them to better 
perform their tasks, and monitor their performance in achievement of 
their assigned MSP functions. These information collection requirements 
describe the MSP requirements and consist of the following:
    1. Initial enrollment questionnaire
    2. MSP claims investigation, which consists of first claim 
development, trauma code development, self-reporting MSP liability 
development, notice to responsible third party development (411.25 
notice), secondary claims development, and ``08'' development 
(involving claims where information cannot be obtained from the 
beneficiary)
    3. Provider MSP development, which requires the provider to request 
information from the beneficiary or representative during admission and 
other encounters; Frequency: On occasion; Affected Public: Individuals 
or households, Business or other for-profit, and Not-for-profit 
institutions; Number of Respondents: 14,204,000; Total Annual 
Responses: 116,394,528; Total Annual Hours Requested: 3,305,814.
    To obtain copies of the supporting statement and any related forms 
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, phone number, OMB number, and 
HCFA document identifier, to [email protected], or call the Reports 
Clearance Office on (410) 786-1326.

Public Meeting

    HCFA will be holding a public meeting to permit interested parties 
an opportunity to give their views on how the content and use of the 
MSP collection requirements may need to be revised. Representatives of 
the hospital industry, health care consumer advocacy groups, and 
provider groups who wish to participate in the public meeting are asked 
to notify the Agency in advance of their interest in attending. At this 
meeting, the Health Care Financing Administration will solicit comments 
on the topics listed in the first paragraph of this notice and as 
referenced in the supporting statement, which may be obtained as 
described above.
    The public meeting will be held on Friday, November 3, 2000, from 
1:00-4:00 p.m., in the Multipurpose Room (Capacity: 100 persons) of the 
Health Care Financing Administration, 7500 Security Boulevard, 
Baltimore, Maryland 21244. Interested parties should provide 
notification of their planned attendance to Tom Bouchat or Joan Fowler, 
either via telephone (410) 786-4621 or (410) 786-0922, fax (410) 786-
9963, or e-mail: [email protected] or [email protected] by no later than 
3 p.m., Monday, October 30, 2000.
    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 to the designees 
referenced below by November 23, 2000:

Health Care Financing Administration, Office of Information Services, 
Division of HCFA Enterprise Standards, Room N2-14-26, 7500 Security 
Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21244-1850, Fax Number: (410) 786-0262, Attn: 
Julie Brown HCFA-250 through HCFA-254 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: Wendy 
Taylor, HCFA Desk Officer.

    Dated: October 17, 2000.
John P. Burke, III,
HCFA Reports Clearance Officer, HCFA, Office of Information Services, 
Information Technology Investment Management Group, Division of HCFA 
Enterprise Standards.
[FR Doc. 00-27028 Filed 10-17-00; 3:06 pm]
BILLING CODE 4120-03-P