[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 117 (Wednesday, June 18, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34764-34765]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-14193]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection: 
Public Comment Request

AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirement for opportunity for public 
comment on proposed data collection projects (Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of 
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995), the Health Resources and Services 
Administration (HRSA) announces plans to submit an Information 
Collection Request (ICR), described below, to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB). Prior to submitting the ICR to OMB, HRSA seeks 
comments from the public regarding the burden estimate, below, or any 
other aspect of the ICR.

DATES: Comments on this Information Collection Request must be received 
no later than August 18, 2014.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments to [email protected] or mail the HRSA 
Information Collection Clearance Officer, Room 10-29, Parklawn 
Building, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request more information on the 
proposed project or to obtain a copy of the data collection plans and 
draft instruments, email [email protected] or call the HRSA 
Information Collection Clearance Officer at (301) 443-1984.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: When submitting comments or requesting 
information, please include the information request collection title 
for reference.
    Information Collection Request Title: AIDS Drug Assistance Program 
Data Report OMB No. 0915-0345--Revision
    Abstract: HRSA's AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) is funded 
through The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, Part B, Title XXVI of the 
Public Health Service Act, which provides grants to states and 
territories. ADAP provides medications for the treatment of HIV/AIDS. 
Program funds may also be used to purchase health insurance for 
eligible clients and for services that enhance access, adherence, and 
monitoring of drug treatments.
    Each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and 
several territories receive ADAP grants. As part of the funding 
requirements, ADAPs submit reports concerning information on patients 
served, eligibility requirements, pharmaceuticals prescribed, pricing 
and other sources of support to provide AIDS medication treatment, cost 
data, and coordination with Medicaid. Since 2005, ADAPs have supplied 
aggregate data to HRSA using the ADAP Quarterly Report (AQR). However, 
aggregate data cannot be analyzed with the detail that is required to 
assess quality of care or to sufficiently account for the use of Ryan 
White HIV/AIDS Program Funds. To address this limitation, HRSA's HIV/
AIDS Bureau (HAB) developed a client-level data system for ADAPs called 
the ADAP Data Report (ADR), and in 2013 ADAPs began submitting the ADR. 
As of April 30, 2014, HAB retired the AQR and now only requires the 
submission of the ADR. The ADR will be submitted annually and consists 
of a Grantee Report and a client-level data file.
    Need and Proposed Use of the Information: The Ryan White HIV/AIDS 
Program requires the submission of annual reports by the Secretary of 
the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to the appropriate 
committees of Congress. The collection of grantee-level and client-
level data enables HRSA to more effectively respond to requests from 
the Secretary of HHS. In addition, client-level information is needed 
by HRSA in order to respond to the request for reviews of program 
performance and information for strategic planning. Client-level data 
is also needed to support the implementation and monitoring of the 
National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS).
    On April 11, 2012, a memo from the Secretary of HHS directed HRSA 
with other HHS Operating Divisions (OpDivs) to work together to: (1) 
Identify seven common core HIV/AIDS indicators; (2) develop 
implementation plans to deploy these indicators; and (3) streamline 
data collection and reduce reporting by at least 20 to 25 percent. In 
November 2012, the HIV/AIDS Indicators Implementation Group (HAIIG), 
comprised of representatives from HHS OpDivs, the Department of Housing 
and Urban Development, the Veterans' Health Administration, and 
community partners successfully identified the required common core 
HIV/AIDS indicators.
    Revisions to the ADR are required to support implementation of the 
core

[[Page 34765]]

indicators, streamline data collection, and reduce the reporting 
burden. Eleven data elements will be deleted from the ADR and several 
variables were modified to reduce reporting burden. Sex at Birth, 
defined to the biological sex assigned to the client at birth, will be 
added to align with variables collected by other HHS OpDivs. Type of 
ADAP-funded insurance assistance received, will also be added to track 
ADAP's payment of full or partial premium, co-pays, and deductibles.
    In addition to the new data elements noted above, other new 
variables will be added to the ADR to address provisions set forth in 
Section 4302 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The ACA includes several 
provisions aimed at eliminating health disparities in America. Section 
4302 (Understanding health disparities: Data collection and analysis) 
of the ACA focuses on the standardization, collection, analysis, and 
reporting of health disparities data. Section 4302 requires the 
Secretary of DHHS to establish data collection standards for race, 
ethnicity, and sex. The race/ethnicity data elements include reporting 
of Hispanic, Asian, and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander subgroups. The 
categories for HHS data standards for race and ethnicity are based on 
the disaggregation of the OMB standard used in the American Community 
Survey (ACS) and the 2000 and 2010 Decennial Census. The subgroup 
categories can be rolled-up to the OMB standard. These new data 
elements will be used in data analysis intended to identify and 
understand health disparities.
    Likely Respondents: State ADAPs of Ryan White Part B grantees.
    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 Information Collection Request are summarized in the table below.
    Total Estimated Annualized burden hours:

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                                                                                      Average
                                     Number of       Number of         Total        burden per     Total burden
            Form name               respondents    responses per     responses     response  (in       hours
                                                    respondent                        hours)
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Grantee Report..................              54               1              54               6             324
Client-level Report.............              54               1              54             109           5,886
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    Total.......................              54  ..............              54  ..............           6,210
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    HRSA 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.

    Dated: June 12, 2014.
Jackie Painter,
Deputy Director, Division of Policy and Information Coordination.
[FR Doc. 2014-14193 Filed 6-17-14; 8:45 am]
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