[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 189 (Friday, September 29, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Page 57513]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-15982]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

[Document Identifier: CMS-10109]


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: 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: 583,760.
    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: September 25, 2006.
Michelle Shortt,
Director, Regulations Development Group, Office of Strategic Operations 
and Regulatory Affairs.
 [FR Doc. E6-15982 Filed 9-28-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-01-P