[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 46 (Monday, March 10, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13305-13307]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-05104]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

[Document Identifiers: CMS-10225, CMS-10502, CMS-10503, CMS-10504 and 
CMS-10506]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB 
Review; Comment Request

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is 
announcing an opportunity for the public to comment on CMS' intention 
to collect information from the public. Under the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995 (PRA), federal agencies are required to publish notice in 
the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of 
information, including each proposed extension or reinstatement of an 
existing collection of information, and to allow a second opportunity 
for public comment on the notice. Interested persons are invited to 
send comments regarding the 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 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.

DATES: Comments on the collection(s) of information must be received by 
the OMB desk officer by April 9, 2014.

ADDRESSES: When commenting on the proposed information collections, 
please reference the document identifier or OMB control number. To be 
assured consideration, comments and recommendations must be received by 
the OMB desk officer via one of the following transmissions: OMB, 
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Attention: CMS Desk 
Officer, Fax Number: (202) 395-5806, OR Email: [email protected].
    To obtain copies of a supporting statement and any related forms 
for the proposed collection(s) summarized in this notice, you may make 
your request using one of the following:
    1. Access CMS' Web site address at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/PaperworkReductionActof1995.
    2. Email your request, including your address, phone number, OMB 
number, and CMS document identifier, to [email protected].
    3. Call the Reports Clearance Office at (410) 786-1326.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Reports Clearance Office at (410) 786-
1326.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 
(PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), federal agencies must obtain approval from 
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for each collection of 
information they conduct or sponsor. The term ``collection of 
information'' is defined in 44 U.S.C. 3502(3) and 5 CFR 
1320.3(copyright) and includes agency requests or requirements that 
members of the public submit reports, keep records, or provide 
information to a third party. Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA (44 
U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)) requires federal agencies to publish a 30-day 
notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of 
information, including each proposed extension or reinstatement of an 
existing collection of information, before submitting the collection to 
OMB for approval. To comply with this requirement, CMS is publishing 
this notice that summarizes the following proposed collection(s) of 
information for public comment:
    1. Type of Information Collection Request: Revision of a currently 
approved collection; Title of Information Collection: Disclosures 
Required of Certain Hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals Regarding 
Physician Ownership; Use: There is no Medicare prohibition against 
physician investment in a hospital or critical access hospitals (CAH). 
Likewise, there is no Medicare requirement that a hospital or CAH have 
a physician on-site at all times; although, there is a requirement that 
they be able to provide basic elements of emergency care to their 
patients. Medicare quality and safety standards are designed to provide 
a national framework that is sufficiently flexible to apply 
simultaneously to hospitals of varying sizes, offering varying ranges 
of services in differing settings across the nation. At the same time, 
however, patients might consider an ownership interest by their 
referring physician, the presence of a physician on-site or both to be 
important factors in their decisions about where to seek hospital care. 
A well-educated consumer is essential to improving the quality and 
efficiency of the healthcare system. Accordingly, patients should be 
made aware of the physician ownership of a hospital, whether or not a 
physician is present in the hospital at all times, and the hospital's 
plans to address patients' emergency medical conditions when a 
physician is not present. The intent of the disclosures is to increase 
the transparency of the hospital's ownership and operations to patients 
as they make decisions about receiving care at the hospital. Please 
note that the associated information collection request has been 
revised subsequent to the publication of the 60-day Federal Register 
notice (78 FR 75925, December 13, 2013.). Form Number: CMS-10225 (OCN: 
0938-1034); Frequency: Occasionally; Affected Public: Private sector--
Business or other for-profits and Not-for-profit institutions; Number 
of Respondents: 2,597; Total Annual Responses: 30,654,968; Total Annual 
Hours: 261,447. (For policy questions regarding this collection contact 
Teresa Walden at 410-786-3755).
    2. Type of Information Collection Request: New collection (Request 
for a new OMB control number); Title of Information Collection: Long 
Term Care Hospital Quality Reporting Program: Program Evaluation; Use: 
Section 3004(a) of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) mandated that we 
establish a quality reporting program for Long Term Care Hospitals 
(LTCHs). Specifically, section 3004(a) added section 1886(m)(5) to the 
Social Security Act (the Act) to establish a quality reporting program 
for LTCHs. This program requires that quality data be submitted by LTCH 
providers in a time, form and manner specified by the Secretary.
    We are interested in exploring how LTCH providers are responding to 
the new quality reporting program (QRP) and its measures. We believe 
that it is important to understand early trends in outcomes, to make 
adjustments as needed to enhance the effectiveness of the program, and 
to seek opportunities to minimize provider burden, and ensure the QRP 
is useful and meaningful to providers. The methodology employed in the 
evaluation is the utilization of qualitative interviews (as opposed to 
quantitative statistical methods). In consultation with research 
experts, we have decided that at this juncture it would be meaningful 
to use a rich, contextual approach to evaluation the process and 
success of the QRP initiative.

[[Page 13306]]

    The decision to pursue this quantitative methodology in 2013, in 
which we learned that providers are anxious to have their voice heard, 
but that they did not feel comfortable expressing themselves fully in 
public open door forums. Providers desired some level of 
confidentiality, which this methodology affords. The intended use of 
the information collected is to help inform us about CMS providers' 
experiences related to the QRPs, such as program impact related to 
quality improvement, burden, process-related issues, and education. 
This will also inform future measurement development for the LTCH QRP, 
future steps related to data validation, as well as future monitoring 
and evaluation. General findings may be used to discuss our future 
efforts in the QRP. Form Number: CMS-10502 (OCN: 0938-NEW); Frequency: 
Occasionally; Affected Public: Private sector--Business or other for-
profits and Not-for-profit organizations; Number of Respondents: 30; 
Total Annual Responses: 30; Total Annual Hours: 71. (For policy 
questions regarding this collection contact Caroline Gallaher at 410-
786-8705.)
    3. Type of Information Collection Request: New collection (Request 
for a new OMB control number); Title of Information Collection: 
Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities Quality Reporting Program: Program 
Evaluation; Use: Section 3004 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) mandated 
that we establish a quality reporting program for Inpatient 
Rehabilitation Facilities (IRFs). Specifically, section 3004(a) added 
section 1886(j)(7) to the Social Security Act (``the Act'') to 
establish a quality reporting program (QRP) for IRFs. This program 
requires IRFs to submit quality data in a time, form and manner 
specified by the Secretary.
    We are interested in exploring how IRF providers are responding to 
the new QRP and its measures. We believe that it is important to 
understand early trends in outcomes, to make adjustments as needed to 
enhance the effectiveness of the program, and to seek opportunities to 
minimize provider burden, and ensure the quality reporting program is 
useful and meaningful to the providers. The methodology employed in the 
evaluation is the utilization of qualitative interviews (as opposed to 
quantitative statistical methods). In consultation with research 
experts, we have decided that at this juncture it would be meaningful 
to use a rich, contextual approach to evaluation the process and 
success of the QRP initiative. The decision to pursue this quantitative 
methodology in 2013, in which we learned that providers are anxious to 
have their voice heard, but that they did not feel comfortable 
expressing themselves fully in public open door forums. Providers 
desired some level of confidentiality, which this methodology affords.
    The intended use of the information collected is to help inform CMS 
providers' experiences related to the QRPs, such as program impact 
related to quality improvement, burden, process-related issues, and 
education. This will also inform future measurement development for the 
IRF QRP, future steps related to data validation, as well as future 
monitoring and evaluation. General findings may be used to discuss our 
future efforts in the QRP. Form Number: CMS-10503 (OCN: 0938-NEW); 
Frequency: Occasionally; Affected Public: Private sector--Business or 
other for-profits and Not-for-profit organizations; Number of 
Respondents: 30; Total Annual Responses: 30; Total Annual Hours: 71. 
(For policy questions regarding this collection contact Caroline 
Gallaher at 410-786-8705.)
    4. Type of Information Collection Request: New collection (Request 
for a new OMB control number); Title of Information Collection: Hospice 
Quality Reporting Program: Program Evaluation; Use: Section 3004(c) of 
the Affordable Care Act (ACA) mandated that we establish a quality 
reporting program (QRP) for hospices. Specifically, section 3004(c) 
added section 1814(i)(5) to the Social Security Act (the Act) to 
establish a quality reporting program for hospices. This program 
requires that quality data be submitted by hospices providers in a 
time, form and manner specified by the Secretary.
    We are interested in exploring how hospice providers are responding 
to the new QRP and its measures. We believe that it is important to 
understand early trends in outcomes, to make adjustments as needed to 
enhance the effectiveness of the program, and to seek opportunities to 
minimize provider burden, and ensure the quality reporting program is 
useful and meaningful to the providers. The methodology employed in the 
evaluation is the utilization of qualitative interviews (as opposed to 
quantitative statistical methods). In consultation with research 
experts, we have decided that at this juncture it would be meaningful 
to use a rich, contextual approach to evaluation the process and 
success of the QRP initiative. The decision to pursue this quantitative 
methodology in 2013, in which we learned that providers are anxious to 
have their voice heard, but that they did not feel comfortable 
expressing themselves fully in public open door forums. Providers 
desired some level of confidentiality, which this methodology affords.
    The intended use of the information collected is to help inform CMS 
providers' experiences related to the QRPs, such as program impact 
related to quality improvement, burden, process-related issues, and 
education. This will also inform future measurement development for the 
hospice QRP, future steps related to data validation, as well as future 
monitoring and evaluation. General findings may be used to discuss our 
future efforts in the QRP. Form Number: CMS-10504 (OCN: 0938-NEW); 
Frequency: Occasionally; Affected Public: Private sector--Business or 
other for-profits and Not-for-profit organizations; Number of 
Respondents: 30; Total Annual Responses: 30; Total Annual Hours: 71. 
(For policy questions regarding this collection contact Caroline 
Gallaher at 410-786-8705.)
    5. Type of Information Collection Request: New collection (Request 
for a new OMB control number); Title of Information Collection: 
Conditions of Participation for Community Mental Health Centers and 
Supporting Regulations in 42 CFR 485; Use: On June 17, 2011, we 
proposed for the first time new conditions of participation (CoPs) for 
community mental health centers (CMHCs). We finalized nd were finalized 
in the final rule that published October 29, 2013 (78 FR 64604), with 
an effective date 12-months after publication of the final rule. These 
CoPs which are based on criteria prescribed in law and are standards 
designed to ensure that each facility has properly trained staff to 
provide the appropriate safe physical environment for patients. These 
particular standards reflect comparable standards developed by industry 
organizations such as the Joint Commission. The primary users of this 
information will be State agency surveyors, CMS and CMHCs for the 
purpose of ensuring compliance with Medicare CoPs as well as ensuring 
the quality of care provided by CMHCs to patients. Form Number: CMS-
10506 (OCN: 0938-NEW); Frequency: Occasionally; Affected Public: 
Private sector--Business or other for-profits and Not-for-profit 
organizations; Number of Respondents: 130; Total Annual Responses: 
79,530; Total Annual Hours: 2,060,342. (For policy questions regarding 
this collection contact Mary Rossi-Coajou at 410-786-6051.)


[[Page 13307]]


    Dated: March 5, 2014.
Martique Jones,
Deputy Director, Regulations Development Group, Office of Strategic 
Operations and Regulatory Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2014-05104 Filed 3-7-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-01-P