[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
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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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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