[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 142 (Tuesday, July 26, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43208-43209]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-14628]


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SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION


Agency Information Collection Activities: Emergency Consideration 
Request

    The Social Security Administration (SSA) publishes a list of 
information collection packages that will require clearance by the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in compliance with Pub.L. 104-13, 
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, effective October 1, 1995. The 
information collection packages that may be included in this notice are 
for new information collections.
    SSA is soliciting comments on the accuracy of the agency's burden 
estimate; the need for the information; its practical utility; ways to 
enhance its quality, utility, and clarity; and on ways to minimize 
burden on respondents, including the use of automated collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology. Written comments 
and recommendations regarding the information collection(s) should be 
submitted to the OMB Desk Officer and the SSA Reports Clearance 
Officer. The information can be mailed and/or faxed to the individuals 
at the addresses and fax numbers listed below:

(OMB), Office of Management and Budget, Attn: Desk Officer for SSA, New 
Executive Building, Room 10235, 725 17th St., NW., Washington, DC 
20503, Fax: 202-395-6974.
(SSA), Social Security Administration, DCFAM, Attn: Reports Clearance 
Officer, 1333 Annex Building, 6401 Security Blvd., Baltimore, MD 21235, 
Fax: 410-965-6400, [email protected].

    The information collection listed below has been submitted to OMB 
for expedited Emergency Clearance. SSA is requesting Emergency 
Consideration from OMB by 08/08/2005. Your comments on the information 
collection are requested by that date. You can obtain a copy of the OMB 
clearance package by calling the SSA Reports Clearance Officer at 410-
965-0454, or by writing to the address listed above.
    1. Medicare Modernization Act Subsidy Application Mailing Follow-Up 
Survey--0960-NEW. The Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and

[[Page 43209]]

Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA), Pub.L. 108-173, created a new 
voluntary prescription drug benefit program. The MMA stipulates that 
Medicare beneficiaries who meet income and resource limits are eligible 
to receive a subsidy for this program. Medicare beneficiaries who are 
not automatically enrolled in the subsidy program may apply for subsidy 
consideration using form OMB No. 0960-0696 (SSA-1020), the Application 
for Help with Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Costs.
    Approximately 19 million Medicare recipients will receive form SSA-
1020, which includes a cover letter encouraging them to complete and 
return the application form to the Social Security Administration (SSA) 
immediately. However, there are many applicants who may not immediately 
return their completed applications. The earlier SSA receives subsidy 
applications, the more time it has to confirm information on the 
applications, process them, and make a subsidy determination in 
anticipation of the January 2006 subsidy program's beginning. For this 
reason, SSA plans to conduct a phone survey of individuals who received 
the subsidy application but did not return it to SSA. The purpose of 
the survey is to encourage these individuals to return the completed 
application to SSA. Respondents are Medicare recipients who have been 
mailed form SSA-1020 but have not yet returned the form.
    Type of Collection: Emergency information collection (new).
    Number of Respondents: 15,000,000 (maximum).
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 2.5 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 625,000 hours.

    Dated: July 19, 2005.
Elizabeth A. Davidson,
Reports Clearance Officer, Social Security Administration.
[FR Doc. 05-14628 Filed 7-25-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4191-02-P