[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 247 (Wednesday, December 27, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Page 61308]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-27857]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

[Document Identifier OS-0990-0330]


Agency Information Collection Request. 30-Day Public Comment 
Request

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirement of the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995, the Office of the Secretary (OS), Department of Health and 
Human Services, is publishing the following summary of a proposed 
collection for public comment.

DATES: Comments on the ICR must be received on or before January 26, 
2018.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments to [email protected] or via 
facsimile to (202) 395-5806.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sherrette Funn, [email protected] 
or (202) 795-7714. When submitting comments or requesting information, 
please include the document identifier 0990-New-30D and project title 
for reference.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Interested persons are invited to send 
comments regarding this 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.
    Title: Appellant Climate Survey, Revision.
    Abstract: The Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals (OMHA) 
requests revision to a previously approved information collection 
request from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The annual OMHA 
Appellant Climate Survey is a survey of Medicare beneficiaries, 
providers, suppliers, or their representatives who participated in a 
hearing before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) from OMHA. Appellants 
dissatisfied with the outcome of their Level 2 Medicare appeal may 
request a hearing before an OMHA ALJ. The Appellant Climate Survey will 
be used to measure appellant satisfaction with their OMHA appeals 
experience, as opposed to their satisfaction with a specific ruling. 
OMHA was established by the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, 
and Modernization Act (MMA) of 2003 (Pub. L. 108-173) and became 
operational on July 1, 2005. The MMA legislation and implementing 
regulations issued on March 8, 2007 instituted a number of changes in 
the appeals process. The MMA legislation also directed HHS to consider 
the feasibility of conducting hearings using telephone or video-
teleconference (VTC) technologies. In carrying out this mandate, OMHA 
makes use of both teleconferencing and VTC to provide appellants with a 
vast nationwide network of access points for hearings close to their 
homes. The first 3-year administration cycle of the OMHA survey began 
in fiscal year (FY) 2008, a second 3-year cycle began in FY2011, and 
third 3-year cycle began in FY2014. The survey will continue to be 
conducted annually over a 3-year period with the next data collection 
cycle beginning in FY2018. Data collection instruments and recruitment 
materials will be offered in English and Spanish. Total burden for 
survey respondents is 100.00 hours each year.
    Affected Public: Survey respondents will consist of Medicare 
beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries (i.e., providers, suppliers), who 
participated in a hearing before an OMHA ALJ. OMHA will draw a 
representative, non-redundant sample of appellants whose cases have 
been closed in the last 6 months.

                                     Table 1--Estimates of Respondent Burden
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                                                                     Number of      Burden per
        Respondent type             Form name        Number of     responses per     response      Total burden
                                                    respondents     respondent        (hours)         (hours)
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Beneficiaries.................  Appellant                    200               1           15/60           50.00
                                 Climate Survey.
Non-Beneficiaries.............  Appellant                    200               1           15/60           50.00
                                 Climate Survey.
rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
    Total.....................  ................             400               1           15/60          100.00
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Terry S. Clark,
Office of the Secretary, Asst. Paperwork Reduction Act Reports 
Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2017-27857 Filed 12-26-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4150-46-P