[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 178 (Friday, September 14, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52594-52596]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-18104]


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SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Request and 
Comment Request

    The Social Security Administration (SSA) publishes a list of 
information collection packages that require clearance by the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) in compliance with Public Law 104-13, the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, effective October 1, 1995. The 
information collection packages included in this notice are for 
extensions of and revisions to OMB-approved information collections.
    SSA is soliciting comments on the accuracy of the agency's burden 
estimate; the need for the information; its practical utility; ways to 
enhance its quality, utility, and clarity; and on ways to minimize 
burden on respondents, including the use of automated collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology. Written comments 
and recommendations regarding the information collection(s) should be 
submitted to the OMB Desk Officer and the SSA Reports Clearance 
Officer. The information can be mailed, faxed or e-mailed to the 
individuals at the addresses and fax numbers listed below:
(OMB),
    Office of Management and Budget, Attn: Desk Officer for SSA, Fax: 
202-395-6974, E-mail address: [email protected].
(SSA),
    Social Security Administration, DCBFM, Attn: Reports Clearance 
Officer, 1333 Annex Building, 6401 Security Blvd., Baltimore, MD 21235, 
Fax: 410-965-6400, E-mail address: [email protected].
    The information collections listed below are pending at SSA and 
will be submitted to OMB within 60 days from the date of this notice. 
Therefore, your comments should be submitted to SSA within 60 days from 
the date of this publication. You can obtain copies of the collection 
instruments by e-mailing the Reports Clearance Officer at 
[email protected].

[[Page 52595]]

    1. Application for Help with Medicare Prescription Drug Plan 
Costs--20 CFR 418.3101--0960-0696. Medicare Part D, codified in 20 CFR 
418, provides voluntary prescription drug coverage of premium, 
deductible, and co-payment costs for certain low-income individuals. As 
per 20 CFR 418.3101, beneficiaries who meet eligibility criteria may 
receive help with these Medicare Part D costs. The Social Security 
Administration, which helps to administer the subsidy program, uses 
form SSA-1020 (the Application for Help with Medicare Prescription Drug 
Plan Costs) and its online equivalent, the i1020, to collect 
information that will be used to make Medicare Part D subsidy 
determinations. The respondents are eligible beneficiaries who want to 
apply for help with Medicare Part D costs.
    Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information 
collection.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                      Average
                                                     Number of     Frequency of     burden per       Estimated
                                                    respondents      response        response      annual burden
                                                                                     (minutes)        (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SSA-1020 (paper application form)...............       2,545,716               1              35       1,485,001
i1020 (online equivalent).......................         380,394               1              45         285,296
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
Totals..........................................       2,926,110  ..............  ..............       1,770,297
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    2. Appeal of Determination for Help with Medicare Prescription Drug 
Plan Costs--0960-0695. The Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and 
Modernization Act of 2003 (Pub. L. 108-173; MMA) established a new 
Medicare Part D program for voluntary prescription drug coverage for 
premium, deductible and cost-sharing subsidies for certain low-income 
individuals. The MMA stipulates that subsidies must be available for 
individuals who are eligible for the program and who meet eligibility 
criteria for help with premium, deductible, and/or co-payment costs. 
Form SSA-1021, the Appeal of Determination for Help with Medicare 
Prescription Drug Plan Costs, was developed to obtain information from 
individuals who appeal SSA's decisions regarding eligibility or 
continuing eligibility for a Medicare Part D subsidy. The respondents 
are applicants who are appealing SSA's eligibility or continuing 
eligibility decisions.
    Type of Request: Extension of an OMB-approved information 
collection.
    Number of Respondents: 75,000.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 10 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 12,500 hours.
    The information collections listed below have been submitted to OMB 
for clearance. Your comments on the information collections would be 
most useful if received by OMB and SSA within 30 days from the date of 
this publication. You can obtain a copy of the OMB clearance packages 
by emailing [email protected].
    1. Correction Notice: This 30-day Federal Register Notice published 
on August 10, 2007, at 72 FR 45079. At the time, we inadvertently 
omitted two notices which are part of this collection. The revised 
burden chart below now contains these notices.
    Medicare Quality Review Forms--20 CFR 418(b)(5)--0960-0707. The 
Social Security Administration (SSA) uses the Medicare Quality Review 
Forms collection to verify the information reported on Medicare Part D 
Subsidy applications (OMB No. 0960-0696) for a selected number of 
applicants. SSA is planning to expand the scope of this collection by 
conducting Quality Reviews with some current recipients of Medicare 
Part D subsidies who have recently undergone the redetermination 
process (OMB No. 0960-0723). This ICR is for two new appointment 
letters (forms SSA-9313 and SSA-9314) that such beneficiaries will 
complete to schedule an appointment for their Quality Review. The 
respondents are current recipients of Medicare Part D subsidies who 
have recently undergone a redetermination and who were selected for a 
Quality Review.
    Type of Request: Revision to an existing OMB-approved information 
collection.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                      Average
                                                     Number of     Frequency of     burden per       Estimated
                Form No. and name                   respondents      response        response      annual burden
                                                                                     (minutes)        (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SSA-9301 (Medicare Subsidy Quality Review Case            10,000               1              35           5,833
 Analysis Questionnaire)........................
SSA-9302 (Notice of Quality Review                        10,000               1              15           2,500
 Acknowledgement Form for those with Phones)....
SSA-9303 (Notice of Quality Review                         1,000               1              15             250
 Acknowledgement Form for those without Phones).
SSA-9304 (Checklist of Required Information;      ..............  ..............  ..............  ..............
 burden accounted for with forms SSA-9302, SSA-
 9303)..........................................
SSA-9308 (Request for Information)..............          20,000               1              15           5,000
SSA-9310 (Request for Documents)................          10,000               1               5             833
SSA-9309 (Life Insurance Verification Form).....           8,000               1              15           2,000
SSA-9311 (Notice of Appointment--Denial--                    450               1              15             113
 Reviewer Will Call)............................
SSA-9312 (Notice of Appointment--Denial--Please               50               1              15              13
 Call Reviewer).................................
SSA-8510 (Authorization to the Social Security            10,000               1               5             833
 Administration to Obtain Personal Information).
SSA-9313 (Notice of Appointment Quality Review             4,500               1              15           1,125
 Acknowledgement Form)*.........................
SSA-9314 (Notice of Quality Review                           500               1              15             125
 Acknowledgement Form (unknown phone numbers)*..
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------

[[Page 52596]]

 
    Total.......................................  ..............  ..............  ..............          18,625
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* These are the two new forms being cleared in the current ICR for this collection.

    2. Correction Notice: This 30-day notice published on August 7, 
2007, at 72 FR 44211. It has since been decided to allow other types of 
respondents (other third-parties besides representatives) to use this 
form. Revised burden information is provided below.
    Electronic Records Express Third-Party Registration Form--0960-NEW. 
ERE (Electronic Records Express) is an online system which enables 
medical providers and various third parties to submit disability 
claimant information electronically to SSA as part of the disability 
application process. Third parties who wish to use this system must 
complete a unique registration process so the Agency can ensure they 
are authorized to access a claimant's electronic disability folder. 
This request is for the Third-Party Registration Form. The respondents 
are third-party representatives of disability applicants or recipients 
who want to use ERE to electronically access beneficiary folders and 
submit information to SSA.
    Type of Request: New information collection.
    Number of Respondents: 78,344.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden per Response: 3 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 3,917 hours.

    Dated: September 10, 2007.
Elizabeth A. Davidson,
Reports Clearance Officer, Social Security Administration.
 [FR Doc. E7-18104 Filed 9-13-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4191-02-P