[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 86 (Friday, May 4, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25319-25320]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-8424]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

[Document Identifier: CMS-R-245]


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 the 
currently approved collection; Title of Information Collection: 
Medicare and Medicaid Programs OASIS Collection Requirements as Part of 
the Conditions of Participation for Home Health Agencies and Supporting 
Regulations in 42 CFR 484.55, 484.205, 484.245, 484.250; Form No.: CMS-
R-245 (OMB 0938-0760) Use: The Outcome and Assessment 
Information Set (OASIS) is a requirement for one of the Conditions of 
Participation (CoPs) that Home Health Agencies (HHAs) must meet in

[[Page 25320]]

order to participate in the Medicare program. Specifically, the CoP at 
Sec.  484.55 requires that each patient receive from an HHA a patient-
specific, comprehensive assessment that identifies a patient's 
continuing need for home care and meets the patient's medical, nursing, 
rehabilitative, social and discharge planning needs. In addition, the 
regulation requires that as part of the comprehensive assessment, HHAs 
use a standard core assessment data set, the OASIS, to evaluate, non-
maternity patients. The data collected using OASIS is used for three 
main purposes: assessing and improving the quality of care provided by 
an HHA, submitting and paying claims for Medicare home health services, 
and surveying the HHAs in accordance with Section 1891 of the Social 
Security Act (the Act).
    We have made several modifications to this information collection 
without increasing the burden. The modifications include but are not 
limited to the following items. In order for the OASIS to have the 
information necessary to allow the grouper to price-out the claim, we 
propose to make the following changes to the OASIS to capture whether 
an episode is an early or later episode. In addition, for the purposes 
of payment, we propose to make changes to the OASIS in order to enable 
agencies to report secondary case mix diagnosis codes. The proposed 
changes clarify how to appropriately fill out OASIS items M0230 and 
M0240, using ICD-9-CM sequencing requirements if multiple coding is 
indicated for any diagnosis. The proposed OASIS revisions also include 
incorporating previously revised instructions regarding diagnosis 
coding in items M0190, M0210, and M0230/M0240/M0246 (previously M0245). 
The burden associated with these proposed changes includes possible 
training of staff, the time and effort associated with downloading a 
new form and replacing previously pre-printed versions of the OASIS, 
and utilizing updated vendor software. However, CMS will be removing or 
modifying existing questions in the OASIS data set to accommodate the 
requirements referenced above. Therefore, CMS believes the burden 
increase associated with these changes is negated by the removal or 
modification of several current data items. Frequency: Recordkeeping 
and Reporting--upon patient assessment; Affected Public: Business or 
other for-profit and Not-for-profit institutions; Number of 
Respondents: 8,277; Total Annual Responses: 10,105,827; Total Annual 
Hours: 11,977,601.
    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: April 27, 2007.
Michelle Shortt,
Director, Regulations Development Group, Office of Strategic Operations 
and Regulatory Affairs.
[FR Doc. E7-8424 Filed 5-3-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-01-P