[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 36 (Monday, February 24, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10158-10159]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-03830]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

[Document Identifier: HHS-OS-21435-60D]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; 
Public Comment Request

AGENCY: HHS, Office of the Secretary.

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 that 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 April 25, 
2014.

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-21435-60D 
for reference.
    Information Collection Request Title: HIPAA Covered Entity and 
Business Associate Pre-Audit Survey.
    Abstract: This information collection consists of a survey of up to 
1200 Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 
(HIPAA) covered entities (health plans, health care clearinghouses, and 
certain health care providers) and business associates (entities that 
provider certain services to a HIPAA covered entity) to determine 
suitability for the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) HIPAA Audit Program. 
The survey will gather information about respondents to enable OCR to 
assess the size, complexity, and fitness of a respondent for an audit. 
Information collected includes, among other things, recent data about 
the number of patient visits or insured lives, use of electronic 
information, revenue, and business locations.
    Need and Proposed Use of the Information: The Office for Civil 
Rights (OCR) is mandated to conduct periodic audits to assess the 
compliance of covered entities and business associates with the HIPAA 
Privacy, Security, and Breach Notification Rules. This information 
collection will enable OCR to assess the suitability of respondent 
covered entities and business associates for audits.
    Likely Respondents: Respondents will include both HIPAA covered 
entities and business associates.
    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.

[[Page 10159]]



                                    Total Estimated Annualized Burden--Hours
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                                                                                      Average
                                                     Number of       Number of      burden per     Total burden
                    Form name                       respondents    responses per   response (in        hours
                                                                    respondent        hours)
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OCR Pre-Audit Survey............................            1200               1           30/60             600
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    Total.......................................            1200               1           30/60             600
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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.

Darius Taylor,
Deputy, Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2014-03830 Filed 2-21-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4153-01-P