[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 227 (Monday, November 26, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70444-70445]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-28569]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

[Document Identifier: CMS-10441]


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: New collection; Title: 
Medicare Plan Finder Experiment; Use: The mission of the Centers for 
Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is to ensure the provision of health 
care to its beneficiaries. Recent legislative mandates, including the 
Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003, 
require CMS to provide information to beneficiaries about the quality 
of the Medicare health and prescription drug plans. To provide that 
information, all Medicare health and prescription drug plans with an 
enrollment of 600 or more are required to collect and report data 
following protocols that CMS has established. CMS has also contracted 
with various organizations to develop valid and reliable quality 
measures and to consider how best to report those measures to 
beneficiaries.
    A primary vehicle for reporting quality information to 
beneficiaries is the Medicare Plan Finder, a section of the Medicare 
Web site that is intended to help beneficiaries make informed choices 
among health and prescription drug plans. The Medicare Plan Finder tool 
contains a great deal of potentially useful information, including 
extensive data on the fixed and variable costs associated with being 
enrolled in plans, the benefits and coverage that plans offer, and the 
quality of service that plans provide, as revealed by member experience 
data, disenrollment statistics, and a variety of measures of clinical 
processes and outcomes.
    One of the key challenges that CMS has faced is how to engage 
beneficiaries with the quality information provided in the Medicare 
Plan Finder. Among the possible reasons that beneficiaries may fail to 
engage with this information are first, that several steps are required 
for a user of the Medicare Plan Finder to gain access to comparative 
plan information, and second that once the user does reach a data 
display, the amount of information presented is voluminous, and can 
seem overwhelming.
    This study will use an experimental design to assess the 
effectiveness of two potential enhancements to the Medicare Plan Finder 
tool that may help address these barriers to engagement and use of 
quality information. The purpose of this experiment is to test the 
effects of two prospective enhancements to the Medicare Plan Finder 
(MPF) Web site. We refer to these prospective enhancements as the 
``Quick Links'' home page and the ``enhanced data display.'' Form 
Number: CMS-10441(OCN: 0938-New); Frequency: Reporting--Once; 
Affected Public: individuals or households; Number of Respondents: 600; 
Total Annual Responses: 600; Total Annual Hours: 252. (For policy 
questions regarding this collection contact David Miranda at 410-786-
7819. 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.

[[Page 70445]]

    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 January 10, 2013.
    OMB, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Attention: CMS 
Desk Officer, Fax Number: (202) 395-6974, Email: [email protected].

    Dated: November 19, 2012.
Martique Jones,
Director, Regulations Development Group, Division B, Office of 
Strategic Operations and Regulatory Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2012-28569 Filed 11-23-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-01-P