[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 82 (Friday, April 27, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25181-25182]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-10231]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

[Document Identifier CMS-10203 and CMS-10417]


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: Revision of a currently 
approved Collection, Title of Information Collection: Medicare Health 
Outcomes Survey (HOS); Use: CMS has a responsibility to its Medicare 
beneficiaries to require that care provided by managed care 
organizations under contract to CMS is of high quality. One way of 
ensuring high quality care in Medicare Managed Care Organizations 
(MCOs), or more commonly referred to as Medicare Advantage 
Organizations (MAOs), is through the development of standardized, 
uniform performance measures to enable CMS to gather the data needed to 
evaluate the care provided to Medicare beneficiaries. The goal of the 
Medicare Health Outcome Survey (HOS) program is to gather valid, 
reliable, clinically meaningful health status data in Medicare managed 
care for use in quality improvement activities, plan accountability, 
public reporting, and improving health. All managed care plans with 
Medicare Advantage (MA) contracts must participate. CMS, in 
collaboration with the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), 
launched the Medicare HOS as part of the Effectiveness of Care 
component of the former Health Plan Employer Data and Information Set, 
now known as the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set 
(HEDIS[supreg]).
    The HOS measure was developed under the guidance of a technical 
expert panel comprised of individuals with specific expertise in the 
health care industry and outcomes measurement. The measure includes the 
most recent advances in summarizing physical and mental health outcomes 
results and appropriate risk adjustment techniques. In addition to 
health outcomes measures, the HOS is used to collect the Management of 
Urinary Incontinence in Older Adults, Physical Activity in Older 
Adults, Fall Risk Management, and Osteoporosis Testing in Older Women 
HEDIS[supreg] measures. The collection of Medicare HOS is necessary to 
hold Medicare managed care contractors accountable for the quality of 
care they are delivering. This reporting requirement allows CMS to 
obtain the information necessary for proper oversight of the Medicare 
Advantage program.
    Since the last collection, the survey instrument has been revised 
and the burden has changed. There have been some questions added and 
others deleted. Form Number: CMS-10203 (OCN: 0938-0701); Frequency: 
Yearly; Affected Public: Individuals and households; Number of 
Respondents: 2,352; Total Annual Responses: 666,120; Total Annual 
Hours: 219,820 (For policy questions regarding this collection contact 
Jason Petroski at 410-786-4681. For all other issues call 410-786-
1326.)
    2. Type of Information Collection Request: Extension of a currently 
approved collection; Title of Information Collection: Medicare Fee-for-
Service Prepayment Medical Review; Use: The information required under 
this collection is requested by Medicare contractors to determine 
proper payment or if there is a suspicion of fraud. Medicare 
contractors request the information from providers or suppliers 
submitting claims for payment from the Medicare program when data 
analysis indicates aberrant billing patterns or other information which 
may present a vulnerability to the Medicare program. In addition, we 
are specifically soliciting public comments on the information 
collection burden that is associated with the currently approved 
information collection request. Form Number: CMS-10417 (OMB 0938-0969); 
Frequency: Occasionally; Affected Public: Private Sector (Business or 
other for-profit and Not-for-profit institutions); Number of

[[Page 25182]]

Respondents: 2,700,000; Total Annual Responses: 2,700,000; Total Annual 
Hours: 1,360,000. (For policy questions regarding this collection 
contact Debbie Skinner at 410-786-7480. 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 Email 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 June 26, 2012:
    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: April 24, 2012.
Martique Jones,
Director, Regulations Development Group, Division B Office of Strategic 
Operations and Regulatory Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2012-10231 Filed 4-26-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-01-P