[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 234 (Wednesday, December 5, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72351-72352]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-29308]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

[Document Identifiers CMS-10305]


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.
    Type of Information Collection Request: Revision of a currently 
approved collection; Title: Medicare Part C and Part D Data Validation 
(42 CFR 422.516g and 423.514g); Use: The Centers for Medicare and 
Medicaid Services (CMS) established reporting requirements for Medicare 
Part C and Part D sponsoring organizations (Medicare Advantage 
Organizations [MAOs], Cost Plans, and Medicare Part D sponsors) under 
the authority described in 42 CFR 422.516(a) and 423.514(a), 
respectively. Under these reporting requirements, each sponsoring 
organization must submit Medicare Part C, Medicare Part D, or Medicare 
Part C and Part D data (depending on the type of contracts they have in 
place with CMS).
    In order for the reported data to be useful for monitoring and 
performance measurement, it must be reliable, valid, complete, and 
comparable among sponsoring organizations. In 2009, CMS developed the 
data validation program as a mechanism to verify the data reported are 
accurate, valid, and reliable. To maintain the independence of the 
validation process, sponsoring organizations do not use their own staff 
to conduct the data validation. Instead, sponsoring organizations are 
responsible for hiring external, independent data validation 
contractors (DVCs) who meet a minimum set of qualifications and 
credentials.
    CMS developed standards and data validation criteria for specific 
Medicare Part C and Part D reporting requirements that the DVCs use in 
validating the sponsoring organizations' data. These standards and 
criteria are described in Appendix 1 ``Data Validation Standards.'' The 
data validation standards for each reporting section include standard 
instructions relating to the types of information that should be 
reviewed, and reporting section criteria (MSC) that are aligned with 
the ``Medicare Part C and Part D Reporting Requirement Technical 
Specifications.'' Furthermore, the standards and criteria describe how 
the DVCs should validate the sponsoring organizations' compilations of 
reported data, taking into account appropriate data exclusions, and 
verifying calculations, source code, and algorithms. The data 
validation reviews are conducted at the contract level given that the 
Medicare Part C and Part D data are generally available at the contract 
level and the contract is the basis of any legal and accountability 
issues concerning the rendering of services.
    The review is conducted over a three-month period following the 
final submission of data by the sponsoring organizations. In addition 
to the ``Data Validation Standards'' described in Appendix 1, the DVCs 
employ a set of information collection tools when performing their 
reviews, which are included in the appendices described below:

Appendix 2: ``Organizational Assessment Instrument''
Appendix 3: ``Data Extraction and Sampling Instructions''
Appendix 4: ``Instructions for the Findings Data Collection Form''
Appendix 5: ``Findings Data Collection Form (FDCF)''

    Data collected via ``Medicare Part C and Part D Reporting 
Requirements Technical Specifications'' is an integral resource for 
oversight, monitoring, compliance and auditing activities necessary to 
ensure quality provision of the Medicare benefits to beneficiaries. CMS 
uses the data collected through the Medicare Data Validation Program to 
substantiate the data collected via ``Medicare Part C and Part D 
Reporting Requirements Technical Specifications.'' If CMS detects data 
anomalies, the CMS division with primary responsibility for the 
applicable reporting requirement assists with determining a resolution.
    The hour burden on industry is estimated at 179,301 total hours, or 
879 hours for one contract within one organization reporting both Part 
C and Part D reporting sections. The validation would require 378 hours 
from the sponsoring organization and 501 from the DVCs. The estimates 
are based on the total number of Part C and/or Part D reporting 
sections, the average number of sponsors, and the average number of 
contracts by type (Part C, Part D, Part C/D) being validated as well as 
a level of effort associated with the individual activities associated 
with the data validation process. Form Number: CMS-10305 (OMB: 
0938-1115); Frequency: Reporting--Annually;

[[Page 72352]]

Affected Public: sponsoring organizations. Number of Respondents: 135; 
Total Annual Responses: 657; Total Annual Hours: 179,301. (For policy 
questions regarding this collection contact Terry Lied at 410-786-8973. 
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.
    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 4, 2013.

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

    Dated: November 29, 2012.
Martique Jones,
Director, Regulations Development Group, Division B, Office of 
Strategic Operations and Regulatory Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2012-29308 Filed 12-4-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-01-P