[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 58 (Tuesday, March 26, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13774-13775]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-7211]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

[CMS-339]


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

AGENCY: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, HHS.
    In compliance with the requirement of section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid 
Services (CMS) (formerly known as 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

[[Page 13775]]

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) if 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. This is necessary to ensure compliance with 5 U.S.C. 1395g 
and 42 CFR 413.20 and 413.24. We cannot reasonably comply with the 
normal clearance procedures because the approval for this collection 
was inadvertently allowed to lapse. The CMS-339's purpose is to assist 
the provider in preparing an acceptable cost report and to minimize 
subsequent contact between the provider and its intermediary. If the 
information is not collected, then the fiscal intermediary will have to 
go onsite to each provider to get this information. Consequently, it is 
far less burdensome and extremely cost effective to capture this 
information through the CMS-339. It is essential to have this 
information to maintain the provider profile and to scope (i.e., 
special, limited or full) the audit.
    We are currently working on elimination of form CMS-339 and 
including the applicable questions on the individual cost report forms. 
In an effort to eliminate the requirement for information no longer 
needed, we reviewed the comments received from the Federation of 
American Hospitals, American Hospital Association, and others. This 
resulted in our issuance of Program Memorandum A-01-137, entitled 
Modification to Form CMS-339 Requirements, Provider Cost Reimbursement 
Questionnaire. This has deleted Exhibit 6, Providers Owners/Management 
Personnel Compensation Exhibit. It has eliminated several questions 
from other exhibits for all providers. Exhibits 2, 3, and 4, Provider-
Based Physicians, were eliminated for many providers.
    We intend to revise the CMS-339 if the revisions planned for the 
cost reports are not operational before we have completely implemented 
the revised forms CMS-885 (Provider enrollment) (there are redundancies 
between the forms CMS-339 and 855). Those forms will not have been 
collected from all providers until three years after OMB approval. If 
the cost reports are revised to include the pertinent questions from 
the form CMS-339 (and the latter form eliminated) before the end of 
that three year period, we will then remove those questions from the 
cost reports.
    CMS is requesting OMB review and approval of this collection by 
March 29, 2002, with a 180-day approval period. Written comments and 
recommendations will be accepted from the public if received by the 
individuals designated below by March 28, 2002. We published a separate 
Federal Register notice announcing the initiation of an extensive 60-
day agency review and public comment period on these requirements on 
February 8, 2002. We will submit the requirements for OMB review and an 
extension of this emergency approval during the 180-day approval 
period.
    Type of Information Collection Request: Reinstatement of a 
previously approved collection.
    Title of Information Collection: Medicare Provider Cost Report 
Reimbursement Questionnaire and Supporting Regulations in 42 CFR 
413.20, 413.24, 415.50, 415.55, 415.60, 415.70, 415.150, 415.152, 
415.160, and 415.162.
    Form No.: CMS-339 (OMB# 0938-0301).
    Use: The Medicare Provider Cost Report Reimbursement Questionnaire 
must be completed by all providers to assist in preparing an acceptable 
cost report, to ensure proper Medicare reimbursement, and to minimize 
subsequent contact between the provider and it fiscal intermediary. It 
is designed to answer pertinent questions about key reimbursement 
concepts found in the cost report and to gather information necessary 
to support certain financial and statistical entries on the cost 
report. In addition, it provides an audit trail for the fiscal 
intermediary.
    Frequency: Annually.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit, not-for-profit 
institutions, and State, local and tribal government.
    Number of Respondents: 33,144.
    Total Annual Responses: 33,144.
    Total Annual Hours: 1,342,332.
    We have submitted a copy of this notice to OMB for its review of 
these information collections. A notice will be published in the 
Federal Register when approval is obtained.
    To obtain copies of the supporting statement and any related forms 
for the proposed paperwork collections referenced above, access CMS'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 CMS 
document identifier, to [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 recordkeeping requirements must be mailed and/or faxed 
to the designees referenced below, by March 28, 2002.
    Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Office of Information 
Services, Security and Standards Group, Division of CMS Enterprise 
Standards, Room N2-14-26, 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21244-
1850. Fax Number: (410) 786-0262. Attn: Julie Brown, CMS-339, 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 Eydt, 
CMS Desk Officer.

    Dated: March 20, 2002.
Julie Brown,
Acting CMS Reports Clearance Officer, CMS, Office of Information 
Services, Security and Standards Group, Division of CMS Enterprise 
Standards.
[FR Doc. 02-7211 Filed 3-25-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-03-M