[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 205 (Wednesday, October 22, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Page 62997]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-25201]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

[Document Identifier: CMS-R-137]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request

AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Department of Health 
and Human Services.
    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: Extension of a currently 
approved collection; Title of Information Collection: Internal Revenue 
Service (IRS)/Social Security Administration (SSA)/Centers for Medicare 
and Medicaid Services (CMS) Data Match and Supporting Regulations in 42 
CFR 411.20-491.206 Use: Medicare Secondary Payer (MSP) is essentially 
the same concept known in the private insurance industry as 
coordination of benefits; it refers to those situations where Medicare 
assumes a secondary payer role to certain types of private insurance 
for covered services provided to a Medicare beneficiary.
    Congress sought to reduce the losses to the Medicare program by 
requiring in 42 U.S.C. 1395y(b)(5) that the Internal Revenue Service 
(IRS), the Social Security Administration (SSA), and CMS perform an 
annual data match (the IRS/SSA/CMS Data Match, or ``Data Match'' for 
short). CMS uses the information obtained through Data Match to contact 
employers concerning possible application of the MSP provisions by 
requesting information about specifically identified employees (either 
a Medicare beneficiary or the working spouse of a Medicare 
beneficiary). This statutory data match and employer information 
collection activity enhances CMS's ability to identify both past and 
present MSP situations. Form Number: CMS-R-137 (OMB 0938-
0763); Frequency: Annually; Affected Public: Business or other for-
profit, not-for-profit institutions, Farms, State, Local or Tribal 
Governments; Number of Respondents: 326,597; Total Annual Responses: 
326,597; Total Annual Hours: 1,900,795.
    To obtain copies of the supporting statement and any related forms 
for the proposed paperwork collections referenced above, access CMS' 
Web site 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 the document identifier or OMB control number. To be assured 
consideration, comments and recommendations must be submitted in one of 
the following ways by December 22, 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.

    Dated: October 10, 2008.
Michelle Shortt,
Director, Regulations Development Group, Office of Strategic Operations 
and Regulatory Affairs.
[FR Doc. E8-25201 Filed 10-21-08; 8:45 am]
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