[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 121 (Friday, June 23, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36097-36098]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-5621]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

[Document Identifier: CMS-R-296]


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: Revision of a currently 
approved collection; Title of Information Collection: Home Health 
Advance Beneficiary Notice (HHABN) and Supporting Regulations in 42 CFR 
411.404 and 484.10(a) and (e).; Use: Home health agencies (HHAs) are 
required to provide written notice to Medicare beneficiaries under 
various circumstances involving the initiation, reduction, or 
termination of services. The notice is designed to ensure that 
beneficiaries receive complete and useful information to enable them to 
make informed consumer decisions. Consistent with the decision of the 
U.S. Court of Appeals (2nd Circuit) in the Lutwin v. Thompson, HHAs 
must now also issue HHABNs in a broader set of circumstances in 
conjunction with their responsibilities under the Home Health 
Conditions of Participation (HH COPs). The HHABN instructions explain 
when the newly revised HHABN should be issued, and include additional 
changes to simplify notice policy for HHAs. The notice must be issued 
timely and provide clear and accurate information about the specified 
services and, if

[[Page 36098]]

applicable, the cost of potentially non-covered services when Medicare 
denial of payment is expected by the HHA. Form Number: CMS-R-296 
(OMB: 0938-0781); Frequency: Recordkeeping, Third party 
disclosure and Reporting: On occasion, Other: As needed; Affected 
Public: Individuals or households, Business or other for-profit and 
Not-for-profit institutions; Number of Respondents: 7,612; Total Annual 
Responses: 10,351,703; Total Annual Hours: 780,918.
    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.
    Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information 
collections must be mailed or faxed within 30 days of this notice 
directly to the OMB desk officer: OMB Human Resources and Housing 
Branch, Attention: Carolyn Lovett, New Executive Office Building, Room 
10235, Washington, DC 20503. Fax Number: (202) 395-6974.

    Dated: June 20, 2006.
Michelle Shortt,
Director, Regulations Development Group, Office of Strategic Operations 
and Regulatory Affairs.
[FR Doc. 06-5621 Filed 6-20-06; 1:10 pm]
BILLING CODE 4120-01-P