[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 124 (Thursday, June 26, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36329-36330]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-14442]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

[Document Identifier: CMS-10261, CMS-10270 and CMS-10136]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
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) 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; (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: New collection; Title of 
Information Collection: Part C Medicare Advantage (MA) Reporting 
Requirements and Supporting Regulations in 42 CFR 422.516(a); Use: CMS 
has authority to establish reporting requirements for Medicare 
Advantage Organizations (MAOs) as described in 42 CFR 422.516(a). Each 
MAO must have an effective procedure to develop, compile, evaluate, and 
report to CMS, to its enrollees, and to the general public, at the 
times and in the manner that CMS requires, and while safeguarding the 
confidentiality of the doctor-patient relationship, statistics and 
other information with respect to the cost of its operations, patterns 
of service utilization, availability, accessibility, and acceptability 
of its services, developments in the health status of its enrollees, 
and other matters that CMS may require. Data collected via Medicare 
Part C Reporting Requirements will be an integral resource for 
oversight, monitoring, compliance and auditing activities necessary to 
ensure quality provision of the benefits provided by MA plans to 
enrollees. Form Number: CMS-10261 (OMB 0938-New); Frequency: 
Yearly, quarterly, and semi-annually; Affected Public: Business or 
other for-profits; Number of Respondents: 703; Total Annual Responses: 
1,406; Total Annual Hours: 298,072.
    2. Type of Information Collection Request: New collection; Title of 
Information Collection: Evaluation of the Home Health Pay for 
Performance Demonstration: Survey instrument; Use: The Home Health Pay 
for Performance Demonstration is part of a change by CMS toward 
performance-based purchasing for a variety of provider types. By 
providing financial incentives for achieving high levels of performance 
on standardized quality measures, CMS hopes to encourage health care 
providers to improve the quality of care provided to Medicare 
beneficiaries. The Home Health Pay for Performance Demonstration 
(HHP4PD) relies on the voluntary participation by home health agencies 
within several States, with random assignment of participating agencies 
to treatment or control groups within each State, where the control 
group will not be eligible for incentive payments. These two groups 
form the primary comparison for determining if the HHP4PD was effective 
in creating improved, targeted outcomes for patients served by home 
health agencies. The information collected will be used as part of the 
evaluation of the Home Health Pay for Performance Demonstration 
sponsored by CMS. Form Number: CMS-10270 (OMB 0938-New); 
Frequency: Once; Affected Public: Business or other for-profits and 
not-for-profit institutions; Number of Respondents: 570; Total Annual 
Responses: 570; Total Annual Hours: 285.
    3. Type of Information Collection Request: Revision of a currently 
approved collection; Title of Information Collection: Medicare 
Demonstration Ambulatory Care Quality Measure Performance Assessment 
Tool (``PAT''); Use: CMS is requesting an extension of the currently 
approved tool for the collection of ambulatory care clinical 
performance measure data. The data will be used to continue 
implementation of two Congressionally mandated demonstration projects 
(the Physician Group Practice (PGP) Demonstration and the Medicare Care 
Management Performance (MCMP) Demonstration) and, starting in 2011, 
support data collection under the new Electronic Health Records (EHR) 
Demonstration. Each of these demonstrations test new payment methods 
for improving the quality and efficiency of health care services 
delivered to Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries, especially those 
with chronic conditions that account for a disproportionate share of 
Medicare expenditures. In addition, the MCMP and EHR demonstrations 
specifically encourage the adoption of electronic health records 
systems as a vehicle for improving how health care is delivered.
    The changes in the estimated burden between this submission and the 
original submission are due to the following changes: Combining the 
Information Collection Request (ICR) application for the PGP and MCMP 
demonstrations into a single ICR application. Reduction in the number 
of practices participating in the MCMP Demonstration. An increase in 
the estimated cost per hour (salary + fringe) for collecting the data. 
The implementation of the new EHR Demonstration which will begin 
collecting clinical quality data starting in 2011 with 400 Phase I 
practices. Form Number: CMS-10136 (OMB 0938-0941); Frequency: 
Yearly; Affected Public: Business or other for-profits and not-for-
profit institutions; Number of Respondents: 1060; Total Annual 
Responses: 1060; Total Annual Hours: 25,990.
    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.
    In commenting on the proposed information collections please 
reference

[[Page 36330]]

the document identifier or OMB control number. To be assured 
consideration, comments and recommendations must be submitted in one of 
the following ways by August 25, 2008:
    1. Electronically. You may submit your comments electronically to 
http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for ``Comment or 
Submission'' or ``More Search Options'' to find the information 
collection document(s) accepting comments.
    2. By regular mail. You may mail written comments to the following 
address: CMS, Office of Strategic Operations and Regulatory Affairs, 
Division of Regulations Development, Attention: Document Identifier/OMB 
Control Number ----, Room C4-26-05, 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, 
Maryland 21244-1850.

    Date: June 18, 2008.
Michelle Shortt,
Director, Regulations Development Group, Office of Strategic Operations 
and Regulatory Affairs.
 [FR Doc. E8-14442 Filed 6-25-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-01-P