[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 49 (Wednesday, March 13, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15929-15931]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-05781]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Nutrition Service


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request--Impact of Implementation of the Affordable Care Act on 
SNAP Operations and Participation

AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), United States Department of 
Agriculture (USDA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 
notice invites the general public and other public agencies to comment 
on this proposed information collection. This is a new collection for 
research on the impact of implementation of the Patient Protection and 
Affordable Care Act (ACA) on the operations of, and participation in, 
the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before May 13, 2013.

ADDRESSES: Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection 
of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions 
of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions that were used; (c) ways to enhance the 
quality, utility and clarity of the information to be collected; and 
(d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on 
those who are to respond, including use of appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology.
    Comments may be sent to: Steven Carlson, Office of Research and 
Analysis, Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 
3101 Park Center Drive, Room 1014, Alexandria, VA 22302. Comments may 
also be submitted via fax to the attention of Steven Carlson at 703-
305-2576 or via email to [email protected]. Comments will also 
be accepted through the Federal eRulemaking Portal. Go to http://www.regulations.gov, and follow the online instructions for submitting 
comments electronically.
    All written comments will be open for public inspection at the 
office of the Food and Nutrition Service during regular business hours 
(8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday) at 3101 Park Center Drive, 
Room 1014, Alexandria, Virginia 22302.
    All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the 
request for Office of Management and Budget approval. All comments will 
be a matter of public record.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of this information collection should be directed to Steven 
Carlson at 703-305-2017. Information requests submitted through email 
should refer to the title of this proposed collection and/or the OMB 
approval number in the subject line.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Impact of Implementation of the Affordable Care Act on SNAP 
Operations and Participation.
    OMB Number: 0584--NEW.
    Expiration Date: Not Yet Determined.
    Type of Request: New Collection.
    Abstract: The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is 
the USDA's largest nutrition program, helping over 46 million low-
income Americans (in fiscal year 2012) to purchase food. The program, 
administered by the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), is designed to 
respond to broad economic and individual circumstances as they change 
over time. The program's operating environment will be influenced 
importantly by the implementation of the ACA.
    This study will assess the impact of ACA implementation on 
participation in the SNAP among nonelderly nondisabled adults, ages 19-
64. This issue has major significance not only in its implications for 
Federal and State

[[Page 15930]]

budgets, but also more generally for the economic well-being of 
America's adult workers and their families. ACA implementation could 
potentially have a profound impact on SNAP participation among 
nonelderly nondisabled adults 19 to 64 in many ways, including:
     Increase the number of nonelderly nondisabled adults that 
will newly apply for health coverage, including many who qualify for 
SNAP but do not participate. This could lead to a substantial increase 
in SNAP participation, even in States that do not implement the 
expanded Medicaid limits for income eligibility and retain their pre-
ACA Medicaid eligibility standards.
     ACA's investment of Federal resources for improving 
eligibility information technology (IT) can be used to improve systems 
that Medicaid shares with SNAP.
     When people apply for SNAP and Medicaid benefits, 
caseworkers may draw from ACA's data-gathering mechanisms to reduce the 
work required to determine SNAP eligibility.
     Enrollment and retention under ACA departs from 
traditional methods used by public benefit programs. Among the major 
potential changes to be implemented in Medicaid are: the opportunity to 
enroll and renew remotely; verification through data matches; and 
renewing one's eligibility based on data matches, without required 
client action. These new approaches may inspire similar innovations 
with SNAP eligibility determination.
     In a State where Medicaid and SNAP use different 
eligibility systems, if Medicaid's system modernizes and SNAP's does 
not, SNAP will need to assume a larger share of spending to maintain 
and operate its eligibility system. Also, major changes in Medicaid 
eligibility could lead some States to move Medicaid outside the core 
responsibilities of social service agencies. If this happens, 
applicants may need to provide the same information multiple times to 
qualify for multiple programs, rather than once.
     Some States may use SNAP eligibility information to 
qualify uninsured adults and children for Medicaid. In States where 
Medicaid and SNAP use different eligibility systems, such an initiative 
could allow the IT work needed to connect the two systems to qualify 
for the Medicaid 90/10 match.
     States will need to rethink the integration of policies 
and models across benefits programs in light of the changes to Medicaid 
eligibility under ACA.
    The potential for growth in SNAP participation varies substantially 
among States, in both absolute numbers and as percentages of current 
State-by-State SNAP caseloads. FNS has undertaken this study to better 
anticipate and measure these effects, through a combination of 
qualitative and quantitative research consisting of rigorous case 
studies in selected States and analyses of emerging national survey 
datasets. In each of the six study sites, the study seeks to describe 
and determine (1) the coordination of SNAP and Medicaid enrollment and 
renewal processes in the State and whether any changes came about with 
the ACA; (2) the process for directing Medicaid applicants to SNAP; and 
(3) the impact of ACA implementation on the number of SNAP 
applications.
    The study includes a quantitative research component involving the 
use of administrative data in six States and a qualitative research 
component involving on-site staff interviews in six study sites. We 
will also undertake a detailed ``process mapping'' of the extent to 
which applicants for Medicaid enrollment or renewal are channeled 
toward SNAP enrollment or renewal (or vice versa). Our proposed 
quantitative approach relies on the analysis of case-level data 
extracted from State administrative datasets, in addition to State-
provided counts and tabulations from their administrative data. At each 
of the six sites, hour-long semi-structured interviews will be 
conducted with State and local SNAP and Medicaid administrators, SNAP 
and Medicaid caseworkers and directors of community-based organizations 
involved with integrating the SNAP and Medicaid programs.

Affected State, Local and Not-for-Profit Institutions

    There are 14 total types of respondents. Respondent groups 
identified include:
     Six State and local SNAP administrators and staff: State 
program director, assistant director for policy, assistant director for 
operations (including call center operations), local program director, 
case manager (initial enrollments) and case manager (renewals);
     Six State and local Medicaid administrators and staff: 
State program director, assistant director for policy, assistant 
director for operations, local program director, case manager (initial 
enrollments) and case manager (renewals); and
     Two community-level stakeholders: SNAP-focused Community 
Based Organization (CBO) representative and Medicaid-focused CBO 
representative.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: The total estimated number of 
respondents is 84. This includes: (a) 36 State and local SNAP 
administrators and staff; (b) 36 State and local Medicaid 
administrators and staff; and (c) 12 community-level stakeholders.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: Each respondent will 
be asked to participate in two in-person interviews--one interview in 
Year 2 of the project and a follow-up interview in Year 3 of the 
project.
    Estimated Total Annual Responses: 84.
    Estimated Time per Response: 60 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 10,080 minutes (168 
hours). See the table below for estimated total annual burden for each 
type of respondent.

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                                                                                                                                 Estimated
                                                                                       Estimated    Total  number   Estimated   avg. number
               Type of respondent                          Survey instrument           number of    of  responses     total       of hours    Estimated
                                                                                      respondents        per          annual        per      total hours
                                                                                                     respondent     responses     response
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SNAP administrators and staff...................  Interview.........................           36               2           72         1.00           72
Medicaid administrators and staff...............  Interview.........................           36               2           72         1.00           72
Community-level stakeholders....................  Interview.........................           12               2           24         1.00           24
    Total Reporting Burden......................  ..................................           84               2          168         1.00          168
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[[Page 15931]]

     Dated: March 4, 2013.
Audrey Rowe,
Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
[FR Doc. 2013-05781 Filed 3-12-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P