[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 171 (Friday, September 2, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54776-54777]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-22583]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

[Document Identifier: CMS-10390 and 10409]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request

AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 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: New collection; Title of 
Information Collection: Hospice Voluntary Quality Data Reporting 
Program; Use: Section 1814(i)(5) of the Social Security Act (Act) added 
by section 3004 of Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Public 
Law 111-148, enacted on March 23, 2010 (Affordable Care Act), 
authorizes the Secretary to establish a quality reporting program for 
hospices. Section 1814(i)(5)(A)(i) of the Act requires that the 
Secretary, beginning with FY 2014, reduce the market basket update by 2 
percentage points for any hospice that does not comply with the quality 
data submission requirements with respect to that fiscal year.
    To meet the quality reporting requirements for hospices, as set 
forth in the proposed Hospice Wage Index for Fiscal Year 2012 rule, we 
propose that there shall be a voluntary hospice quality reporting cycle 
which will consist of data collection cycle beginning on October 1, 
2011 and continuing through December 31, 2011. This data shall be 
reported to CMS by no later than January 31, 2012. There shall be a 
mandatory hospice quality reporting cycle which will consist of data 
collected from October 1, 2012 through December 31, 2012. This data 
shall be reported to CMS by no later than April 1, 2013. Thereafter, it 
is proposed that all subsequent hospice quality reporting cycles will 
be based on the calendar-year basis(that is, January 1, 2013 through 
December 31, 2013 for determination of the Hospice market basket 
increase factor for each Hospice in FY 2015, etc.).
    We are requesting an initial approval of a data collection 
instrument entitled ``Quality Data Submission Form'' that hospice 
providers will use to submit quality measures data to CMS during the 
proposed voluntary reporting period of 10/01/2011 through 12/31/2011. 
This form shall be used by hospices to report quality data pertaining 
to one structural measure, which is entitled: Participation in a 
Quality Assessment and Performance Improvement (QAPI) Program that 
Includes at Least Three Quality Indicators Related to Patient Care. 
Form Number: CMS-10390 (OMB 0938-New); Frequency: Occasionally; 
Affected Public: Private Sector: Business or other for-profit and not-
for-profit institutions; Number of Respondents: 3,531; Total Annual 
Responses: 3,531; Total Annual Hours: 883. (For policy questions 
regarding this collection contact Robin Dowell at 410-786-0060. For all 
other issues call 410-786-1326.)
    2. Type of Information Collection Request: New collection; Title of 
Information Collection: Long Term Care Hospital (LCTH) Quality 
Reporting Program--Pressure Ulcer Measure Data Set; Use: Section 3004 
of the Affordable Care Act authorizes the establishment of a new 
quality reporting program for Long Term Care Hospitals (LTCHs). LTCHs 
that fail to submit quality measure data may be subject to a 2 
percentage point reduction in their

[[Page 54777]]

annual update to the standard Federal rate for discharges occurring 
during a rate year, beginning in FY 2014. One of the quality measures 
LTCHs are required to collect and submit data on is the Percent of 
Residents with Pressure Ulcers That Are New or Have Worsened.
    Currently, there are no mandatory standardized data sets being used 
in LTCHs. Therefore, we have created a new data set to be used in 
LTCHs, which incorporates data items contained in other, well known and 
clinically established pressure ulcer data sets, including but not 
limited to the Minimum Data Set 3.0 (MDS 3.0) and CARE data set 
(Continuity Assessment Records & Evaluation).
    Beginning on October 1, 2012, LTCHs will begin to use a data 
collection document entitled the ``LTCH CARE Data Set'' as the vehicle 
by which to collect the pressure ulcer data for the LTCH quality 
reporting program. This data set consists of the following components: 
(1) Pressure ulcer documentation; (2) selected covariates related to 
pressure ulcers; (3) patient demographic information; and; (4) a 
provider attestation section. The use of the LTCH CARE Data Set is 
necessary in order to allow CMS to collect LTCH quality measures data 
in compliance with Section 3004 of the Affordable Care Act. There are 
no other reasonable alternatives available to CMS for the collection 
and submission of pressure ulcer data. Form Number: CMS-10409 (OCN: 
0938-New); Frequency: Occasionally; Affected Public: Private Sector: 
Business or other for-profit and not-for-profit institutions; Number of 
Respondents: 3,531; Total Annual Responses: 3,531; Total Annual Hours: 
883. (For policy questions regarding this collection contact Caroline 
Gallaher at 410-786-8705. 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.
    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 November 1, 2011:
    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: August 30, 2011.
Martique Jones,
Director, Regulations Development Group, Division B, Office of 
Strategic Operations and Regulatory Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2011-22583 Filed 9-1-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-01-P