[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 50 (Friday, March 14, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12357-12358]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-6140]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

[Document Identifier: CMS-R-205, CMS-R-206, CMS-R-228, CMS-10050, CMS-
R-262, and CMS-10080]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB 
Review; Comment Request

AGENCY: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
    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 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.
    1. Type of Information Collection Request: Extension of a currently 
approved collection; Title of Information Collection: Information 
Collection Requirements Referenced in HIPAA, Title 1, for the 
Individual Market, Supporting regulations at 45 CFR 148.120, 148.122, 
148.124, 148.126, and 148.128, and Forms/instructions; Form No.: CMS-R-
205 (OMB 0938-0703); Use: Information collection requirements 
(ICRs) will ensure that issuers in the individual market comply with 
Title 1 of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, 
provide individuals with certificates of coverage necessary to 
demonstrate prior creditable coverage and file documentation with CMS 
for review in a Federal direct enforcement state. ICRs will also ensure 
States' flexibility to implement state alternative mechanisms; 
Frequency: On occasion; Affected Public: Business or other for-profit, 
Individuals or households, Not-for-profit institutions, Federal 
government, and State, local, or tribal government; Number of 
Respondents: 1,041; Total Annual Responses: 3,242,500; Total Annual 
Hours: 914,347.
    2. Type of Information Collection Request: Extension of a currently 
approved collection; Title of Information Collection: Information 
Collection Requirements Referenced in HIPAA, Title 1, for the Group 
Market and Supporting Regulations at 45 CFR 146.111, 146.115, 146.117, 
146.150, 146.152, 146.160, and 146.180, and Forms/instructions; Form 
No.: CMS-R-206 (OMB 0938-0702); Use: Information collection 
requirements (ICRs) will ensure that issuers in the group market comply 
with Title 1 of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability 
Act, including providing individuals with certificates of creditable 
coverage, notifying individuals about their status with respect to pre-
existing condition exclusions, and giving them special enrollment 
rights to which they are entitled and that states and the Federal 
government have the flexibility necessary to enforce HIPAA; Frequency: 
On occasion; Affected Public: Business or other for-profit, Individuals 
or households, Not-for-profit institutions, Federal government, and 
State, local, or tribal government; Number of Respondents: 2,080; Total 
Annual Responses: 43,003,297; Total Annual Hours: 2,652,282.
    3. Type of Information Collection Request: Revision of a currently 
approved collection; Title of Information Collection: Adjusted 
Community Rate (ACR) Proposal Medicare+Choice; Form No.: CMS-R-228 
(OMB 0938-0742); Use: Under part C of the Social Security Act, 
a Medicare+Choice (M+C) organization is required to offer a benefit 
package that is approved and priced properly to all Medicare 
beneficiaries residing in the service area. This form is used by M+C 
organizations to price its benefit packages; Frequency: Annually; 
Affected Public: Business or other for-profit, and Not-for-profit 
institutions; Number of Respondents: 600; Total Annual Responses: 600; 
Total Annual Hours: 57,000.
    4. Type of Information Collection Request: Extension of a currently 
approved collection; Title of Information Collection: Survey of Newly 
Eligible Medicare Beneficiaries; Form No.: CMS-10050 (OMB 
0938-0869); Use: It is not enough to merely mail information about the 
Medicare program to each beneficiary. We need to know not only that the 
beneficiary got the information, but that they understood the 
information and are able to use it in making choices about their 
Medicare participation. To this end, CMS must have measure(s) over time 
of what beneficiaries know and understand about the Medicare program 
now to be able to quantify and attribute any changes to their 
understanding or behavior to information/education initiatives. 
Measuring beneficiary information needs and knowledge over time will 
help us to evaluate the impact of information/education and other 
initiatives as well as to understand how the population is changing 
apart from such initiatives.; Frequency: Monthly; Affected Public: 
Individuals or Households; Number of Respondents: 3600; Total Annual 
Responses: 3600; Total Annual Hours: 1080.
    5. Type of Information Collection Request: Revision of a currently 
approved collection; Title of Information Collection: The Adjusted 
Community Rate Proposal (ACRP) Medicare+Choice (M+C) Plan Benefit 
Package (PBP) and Supporting Regulations in 42 CFR 417.401, 422.1-
422.10, 422.50-422.80; Form No.: CMS-R-262 (OMB 0938-0763); 
Use: Under part C of the Social Security Act, a Medicare+Choice (M+C) 
organization is required to offer at least one plan benefit package 
that is approved and priced properly to all Medicare beneficiaries 
residing in the service area. This software is used by M+C 
organizations to describe their plan benefit package(s).; Frequency: 
Annually and as required by new legislation; Affected Public: Business 
or other for-profit and Not-for-profit institutions; Number of 
Respondents: 200; Total Annual Responses: 200; Total Annual Hours: 600.
    6. Type of Information Collection Request: New Collection; Title of 
Information Collection: Publications Use Study; Form No.: CMS-10080 
(OMB 0938-NEW); Use: CMS/CBC needs to conduct this research to 
evaluate how CMS meets beneficiaries'

[[Page 12358]]

informational needs about health care benefits and choices, as directed 
by the Balanced Budget Act of 1997. This telephone survey will gather 
data on publications users' demographics, usage patterns, and attitudes 
toward Medicare publications. Research findings will support the 
improvement of a dissemination of Medicare publications; Frequency: 
Quarterly; Affected Public: Individuals or Households; Number of 
Respondents: 3,000; Total Annual Responses: 3,000; Total Annual Hours: 
850.
    To obtain copies of the supporting statement and any related forms 
for the proposed paperwork collections referenced above, access CMS Web 
site address at http://cms.hhs.gov/regulations/pra/default.asp, 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. Written comments and 
recommendations for the proposed information collections must be mailed 
within 30 days of this notice directly to the OMB desk officer: OMB 
Human Resources and Housing Branch, Attention: Brenda Aguilar, New 
Executive Office Building, Room 10235, Washington, DC 20503.

    Dated: March 6, 2003.
John P. Burke, III,
Paperwork Reduction Act Team Leader, CMS Reports Clearance Officer, 
Office of Strategic Operations and Regulatory Affairs, Division of 
Regulations Development and Issuances.
[FR Doc. 03-6140 Filed 3-13-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-03-P