[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 28 (Friday, February 10, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7047-7048]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-1819]



[[Page 7047]]

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

[Document Identifier: CMS-10167, CMS-10009, CMS-10001, and CMS-10079]


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

AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & 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 & Medicaid 
Services (CMS), 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 function; (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: New collection; Title of 
Information Collection: Competitive Acquisition Program (CAP) for 
Medicare Part B Drugs: CAP Physician Election Agreement; Form Number: 
CMS-10167 (OMB: 0938-NEW); Use: Beginning in 2006, physicians 
will have a choice between acquiring and billing for Part B covered 
drugs under the Average Sales Price (ASP) drug payment methodology or 
electing to receive these drugs from vendors/suppliers selected for the 
CAP through a competitive bidding process. The provisions for this new 
payment system are described in the proposed rule (42 CFR Part 414 
Subpart K) published March 4, 2005 (70 FR 10746), the interim final 
rule published July 6, 2005 (70 FR 39022), and a final rule (CMS-1502-
FC) that published on November 21, 2005. Competitive bidding is seen as 
a means of using the dynamics of the marketplace to provide incentives 
for suppliers to provide reasonably priced products and services of 
high quality in an efficient manner. The CAP's objectives include the 
following: (1) To provide an alternative method for physicians to 
obtain Part B drugs to administer to Medicare beneficiaries; and (2) to 
reduce drug acquisition and billing burdens for physicians.; Frequency: 
Reporting--Annually; Affected Public: Business or other-for-profit; 
Number of Respondents: 10,000; Total Annual Responses: 10,000; Total 
Annual Hours: 20,000.
    2. Type of Information Collection Request: Extension of a currently 
approved collection; Title of Information Collection: HIPAA 
Nondiscrimination Provisions (Regulation HCFA 2078-P); Form Number: 
CMS-10009 (OMB: 0938-819); Use: The provisions of Title I of 
the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) 
are designed to make it easier for people to get access to health care 
coverage, to reduce the limitations that can be put on the coverage, 
and to make it more difficult for issuers to terminate the coverage. 
Title I provisions are divided into group and individual market 
protections. The group provisions apply to employment-related group 
health plans and to the issuers who sell insurance in connection with 
group health plans. Section 2702 of the Public Health Service Act (PHS 
Act--the HIPAA nondiscrimination provisions) establish rules generally 
prohibiting group health plans and group health insurance issuers from 
discriminating against individual participants or beneficiaries based 
on any health factor of such participants or beneficiaries; Frequency: 
Third party disclosure, Reporting--Annually; 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: 2600; Total Annual Responses: 2600; 
Total Annual Hours: 100.
    3. Type of Information Collection Request: Extension of a currently 
approved collection; Title of Information Collection: HIPAA 
Nondiscrimination Provisions (Regulation HCFA 2022-IFC); Form Number: 
CMS-10001 (OMB: 0938-827); Use: The provisions of Title I of 
the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) 
are designed to make it easier for people to access health care 
coverage; to reduce the limitations that can be put on the coverage; 
and to make it more difficult for issuers to terminate the coverage. 
Title I provisions are divided into group and individual market 
protections. The group provisions apply to employment-related group 
health plans and to the issuers who sell insurance in connection with 
group health plans. Section 2702 of the Public Health Service Act (PHS 
Act) (the HIPAA nondiscrimination provisions) establish rules generally 
prohibiting group health plans and group health insurance issuers from 
discriminating against individual participants or beneficiaries based 
on any health factor of such participants or beneficiaries; Frequency: 
Third party disclosure, Reporting--Annually; 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: 18; Total Annual Responses: 18; 
Total Annual Hours: 194.
    4. Type of Information Collection Request: Revision of a currently 
approved collection; Title of Information Collection: Hospital Wage 
Index--Occupational Mix Survey and Supporting Regulations in 42 CFR 
412.230, 412.304, and 413.65; Form Number: CMS-10079 (OMB: 
0938-0907); Use: Section 304 of the Medicare, Medicaid, and State 
Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) Benefits Improvement and 
Protection Act of 2000 requires CMS to collect wage data on hospital 
employees by occupational category, at least once every 3 years in 
order to construct an occupational mix adjustment to the wage index. 
CMS first collected occupational mix survey data in 2003 for the FY 
2005 wage index. The next data collection is occurring in 2006 for the 
FY 2008 wage index. In response to industry comments suggesting ways to 
improve the occupational mix survey, CMS has revised the survey. The 
purpose of the occupational mix adjustment is to control for the effect 
of hospitals' employment choices on the wage index. For example, 
hospitals may choose to employ different combinations of registered 
nurses, licensed practical nurses, nursing aides, and medical 
assistants for the purpose of providing nursing care to their patients. 
The varying labor costs associated with these choices reflect hospital 
management decisions rather than geographic differences in the costs of 
labor. Each of the approximately 3,800 acute care hospital inpatient 
prospective payment system (IPPS) providers participating in the 
Medicare program will be required to complete the 2006 Medicare Wage 
Index Occupational Mix Survey. The initial survey will be forwarded via 
email to all of CMS's fiscal intermediaries; Frequency: Reporting--
Other, Triennially; Affected Public: Business or other for-profit and 
Not-for-profit institutions; Number of Respondents:

[[Page 7048]]

3,800; Total Annual Responses: 3,800; Total Annual Hours: 608,000.
    To obtain copies of the supporting statement and any related forms 
for these paperwork collections referenced above, access CMS Web site 
address at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/PaperworkReductionActof1995, 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.
    To be assured consideration, comments and recommendations for the 
proposed information collections must be received by the OMB Desk 
Officer at the address below, no later than 5 p.m. on March 13, 2006. 
OMB Human Resources and Housing Branch, Attention: Carolyn Lovett, CMS 
Desk Officer, New Executive Office Building, Room 10235, Washington, DC 
20503.

    Dated: February 3, 2006.
Michelle Shortt,
Director, Regulations Development Group, Office of Strategic Operations 
and Regulatory Affairs.
 [FR Doc. E6-1819 Filed 2-9-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-01-P