[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 53 (Tuesday, March 19, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16856-16857]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-06281]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Office of the Secretary

[Document Identifier: HHS-OS-19129-60D]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; 
Public Comment Request

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995, the Office of the Secretary (OS), Department of 
Health and Human Services, announces plans to submit a new Information 
Collection Request (ICR), described below, to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB). Prior to submitting the ICR to OMB, OS seeks comments 
from the public regarding the burden estimate, below, or any other 
aspect of the ICR.

DATES: Comments on the ICR must be received on or before May 20, 2013.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments to 
[email protected] or by calling (202) 690-6162.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Information Collection Clearance 
staff, [email protected] or (202) 690-6162.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: When submitting comments or requesting 
information, please include the document identifier HHS-OS-19129-60D 
for reference.
    Information Collection Request Title: HIPAA Audit Review Survey.
    Abstract: This information collection consists of an online survey 
of 115 covered entities (health plans, health care clearinghouses, and 
health care providers) that were audited in 2012 through the Office for 
Civil Rights

[[Page 16857]]

HIPAA Audit Program. The survey will gather information on the effect 
of the audits on the audited entities and the entities' opinions about 
the audit process.
    Need and Proposed Use of the Information: The Office for Civil 
Rights is currently conducting a review of the HIPAA Audit program to 
determine its efficacy in assessing the HIPAA compliance efforts of 
covered entities. As part of that review, the online survey will be 
used to:
     Measure the effect of the HIPAA Audit program on covered 
entities;
     Gauge their attitudes towards the audit overall and in 
regards to major audit program features, such as the document request, 
communications received, the on-site visit, the audit-report findings 
and recommendations;
     Obtain estimates of costs incurred by covered entities, in 
time and money, spent responding to audit-related requests;
     Seek feedback on the effect of the HIPAA Audit program on 
the day-to-day business operations; and
     Assess whether improvements in HIPAA compliance were 
achieved as a result of the Audit program.

    The information, opinions, and comments collected using the online 
survey will be used to produce recommendations for improving the HIPAA 
Audit program.
    Likely Respondents: The 115 audit points-of-contact for each 
covered entity audited as part of the 2012 HIPAA Compliance Audit 
Program.
    Burden Statement: Burden in this context means the time expended by 
persons to generate, maintain, retain, disclose, or provide the 
information requested. This includes the time needed to review 
instructions, to develop, acquire, install and utilize technology and 
systems for the purpose of collecting, validating and verifying 
information, processing and maintaining information, and disclosing and 
providing information, to train personnel and to be able to respond to 
a collection of information, to search data sources, to complete and 
review the collection of information, and to transmit or otherwise 
disclose the information. The total annual burden hours estimated for 
this ICR are summarized in the table below.

                                    Total Estimated Annualized Burden--Hours
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                                                                     Number of    Average burden
                    Form name                        Number of     responses per   per response    Total burden
                                                    respondents     respondent      (in hours)         hours
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Covered Entity..................................             115               1             2.0             230
ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½
    Total.......................................             115               1             2.0             230
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    OS specifically requests comments on (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.

Keith A. Tucker,
Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2013-06281 Filed 3-18-13; 8:45 am]
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