[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 111 (Friday, June 9, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33458-33459]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-8749]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

[Document Identifier: CMS-10109]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request

AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
    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) 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;

[[Page 33459]]

(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: Revision of a currently 
approved collection; Title of Information Collection: Hospital 
Reporting Initiative--Hospital Quality Measures; Use: The recently 
enacted section 5001(a) of the Deficit Reduction Act (DRA) sets out new 
requirements for the Reporting Hospital Quality Data for Annual Payment 
Update (RHQDAPU) program. The RHQDAPU program was established to 
implement section 501(b) of the Medicare Prescription Drug, 
Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA). The DRA builds on our 
ongoing voluntary Hospital Quality Initiative, which is intended to 
empower consumers with quality of care information to make more 
informed decisions about their health care, while also encouraging 
hospitals and clinicians to improve the quality of care provided to 
Medicare beneficiaries. The DRA revises the current hospital reporting 
initiative by stipulating new data collection requirements. The law 
provides a 2.0 percent reduction in points to the update percentage 
increase for any hospital that does not submit the quality data in the 
form, and manner, and at a time, specified by the Secretary. The Act 
also requires that we expand the ``starter set'' of 10 quality measures 
that we have used since 2003. To comply with these new requirements we 
must make changes to the Hospital Reporting Initiative. Form Number: 
CMS-10109 (OMB: 0938-0918); Frequency: Recordkeeping, third 
party disclosure, and reporting--quarterly; Affected Public: State, 
Local or Tribal Government; Number of Respondents: 3,700; Total Annual 
Responses: 14,800; Total Annual Hours: 484,560.
    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://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 at the address below, 
no later than 5 p.m. on August 8, 2006.
    CMS, Office of Strategic Operations and Regulatory Affairs, 
Division of Regulations Development--B, Attention: William N. Parham, 
III, Room C4-26-05, 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, Maryland 21244-
1850.

    Dated: May 25, 2006.
Michelle Shortt,
Director, Regulations Development Group, Office of Strategic Operations 
and Regulatory Affairs.
 [FR Doc. E6-8749 Filed 6-5-06; 8:45 am]
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