[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 214 (Friday, November 6, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57497-57498]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-26831]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

[Document Identifier: CMS 10198 and CMS-10296]


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: Extension without change 
of a currently approved collection; Title of Information Collection: 
Creditable Coverage Disclosure to CMS On-Line Form and Instructions; 
Use: Most entities that currently provide prescription drug benefits to 
any Medicare Part D eligible individual must disclose to the CMS 
whether the prescription drug benefit that they offer is creditable. 
The disclosure is required to be provided annually and upon any change 
that affects whether the coverage is creditable prescription drug 
coverage. CMS released a Disclosure to CMS Guidance Paper and a 
disclosure to CMS notification on-line form in January 2006.
    Section 1860D-1 of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and 
Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA) and implementing regulations at 42 CFR 
423.56 require that entities that offer prescription drug benefits 
under any of the types of coverage described in 42 CFR 423.56 (b) 
provide a disclosure of creditable coverage to CMS informing us whether 
such coverage meets the actuarial requirements specified in guidelines 
provided by CMS. Form Number: CMS-10198 (OMB: 0938-1013); 
Frequency: Reporting--Yearly and Semi-annually; Affected Public: 
Federal Government, Business or other for-profits and not-for-profit 
institutions, and State, Local, or Tribal Governments; Number of 
Respondents: 87,500; Total Annual Responses: 87,500; Total Annual 
Hours: 7,291.7. (For policy questions regarding this collection contact 
Louis Blank at 410-786-5511. For all other issues call 410-786-1326.)
    2. Type of Information Collection Request: New collection; Title of 
Information Collection: Electronic

[[Page 57498]]

Health Records (EHR) Testing; Use: The Centers for Medicare and 
Medicaid Services (CMS) has indicated through statements in proposed 
and final rulemaking for the Reporting Hospital Quality Data for Annual 
Payment Update (RHQDAPU) program that it is actively seeking to pursue 
quality measurement based on alternative sources of data that do not 
require manual chart abstraction or that utilize data already being 
reported by many hospitals for other programs, as doing so would 
potentially reduce the burden associated with the collection and 
reporting of measures for the program. Over the years, we have 
encouraged hospitals to take steps toward the adoption of electronic 
health records (EHRs) that would allow for reporting of clinical 
quality data from the EHRs directly to a CMS data repository beginning 
with the FY 2006 Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) Rule (70 
FR 47420 through 47421). We have also encouraged hospitals that are 
implementing, upgrading, or developing EHR systems to ensure that the 
technology obtained, upgraded, or developed conforms to standards 
adopted by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
    In the IPPS 2010 proposed rule (74 FR 24182), we described our 
intent to begin a voluntary testing program for the submission to CMS 
of standardized data elements needed to calculate inpatient hospital 
quality measures on the topics of Stroke, Venous Thromboembolism, and 
Emergency department throughput. These measures have not been adopted 
for Reporting Hospital Quality for Annual Payment Update (RHQDAPU) 
program, and participation in this voluntary EHR-testing program will 
not substitute for submission of data elements required under the 
RHQDAPU program in a time, form and manner specified by the Secretary. 
Similarly, non-participation in this voluntary program will not incur 
any penalties. The results of this voluntary testing process will 
enable CMS to assess the feasibility of collecting data elements via 
electronic health records as a future alternative to submission of 
manually chart abstracted data elements by hospitals, thereby 
potentially reducing the administrative burden associated with 
submission of quality measures for the RHQDAPU program. Form Number: 
CMS-10296 (OMB: 0938-New); Frequency: Reporting--Once; 
Affected Public: Private Sector--Business or other for-profits and Not-
for-profit institutions; Number of Respondents: 55; Total Annual 
Responses: 55; Total Annual Hours: 28,655. (For policy questions 
regarding this collection contact Shaheen Halim 410-786-0641. For all 
other issues call 410-786-1326.)
    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.
    To be assured consideration, comments and recommendations for the 
proposed information collections must be received by the OMB desk 
officer at the address below, no later than 5 p.m. on December 7, 2009.
    OMB, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs,
    Attention: CMS Desk Officer.
    Fax Number: (202) 395-6974.
    E-mail: [email protected].

    Dated: October 30, 2009.
Michelle Shortt,
Director, Regulations Development Group, Office of Strategic Operations 
and Regulatory Affairs.
[FR Doc. E9-26831 Filed 11-5-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-01-P