[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 190 (Monday, October 1, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49389-49390]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-20995]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

[Document Identifiers: CMS-10142, CMS-R-262, and CMS-179]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request

AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, HHS.

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 (the 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 60 days for public 
comment on the proposed action. Interested persons are invited to send 
comments regarding our burden estimates or any other aspect of this 
collection of information, including the necessity and utility of the 
proposed information collection for the proper performance of the 
agency's functions, the accuracy of the estimated burden, ways to 
enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be 
collected, and the use of automated collection techniques or other 
forms of information technology to minimize the information collection 
burden.

DATES: Comments must be received by November 30, 2018.

ADDRESSES: When commenting, please reference the document identifier or 
OMB control number. To be assured consideration, comments and 
recommendations must be submitted in any one of the following ways:
    1. Electronically. You may send your comments electronically to 
http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for ``Comment or 
Submission'' or ``More Search Options'' to find the information 
collection document(s) that are accepting comments.
    2. By regular mail. You may mail written comments to the following 
address: CMS, Office of Strategic Operations and Regulatory Affairs, 
Division of Regulations Development, Attention: Document Identifier/OMB 
Control Number __, Room C4-26-05, 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, 
Maryland 21244-1850.
    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' website address at https://www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance/Legislation/PaperworkReductionActof1995/PRA-Listing.html.
    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: William Parham at (410) 786-1326.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Contents

    This notice sets out a summary of the use and burden associated 
with the following information collections. More detailed information 
can be found in each collection's supporting statement and associated 
materials (see ADDRESSES).

CMS-10142 Bid Pricing Tool (BPT) for Medicare Advantage (MA) Plans and 
Prescription Drug Plans (PDP)
CMS-R-262 Contract Year 2020 Plan Benefit Package (PBP) Software and 
Formulary Submission
CMS-179 Medicaid State Plan Base Plan Pages

    Under the 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(c) 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 requires federal agencies 
to publish a 60-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.

Information Collection

    1. Type of Information Collection Request: Revision of a currently 
approved collection; Title of Information Collection: Bid Pricing Tool 
(BPT) for Medicare Advantage (MA) Plans and Prescription Drug Plans 
(PDP); Use: The competitive bidding process defined by the ``The 
Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act'' (MMA) 
applies to both the MA and Part D programs. It was first used for 
Contract Year 2006. It is an annual process that encompasses the 
release of the MA rate book in April, the bid's that plans submit to 
CMS in June, and the release of the Part D and RPPO benchmarks, which 
typically occurs in August.
    CMS requires that Medicare Advantage Organizations (MAOs) and 
Prescription Drug Plans (PDPs) complete the BPT as part of the annual 
bidding process. During this process, organizations prepare their 
proposed actuarial bid pricing for the upcoming contract year and 
submit them to CMS for review and approval. The purpose of the BPT is 
to collect the actuarial pricing information for each plan. It is an 
Excel workbook with multiple worksheets and special functions through 
which bidders present to CMS their plan pricing information. Bidders 
enter information, such as plan experience, projected enrollment, and 
risk profile, and the BPT calculates the plan premiums and other values 
that

[[Page 49390]]

drive the bidding process. CMS maintains and updates each BPT file and 
releases new versions every April.
    The BPT files may be downloaded from the Health Plan Management 
System website (or HPMS), which is a restricted-access website, so 
users must obtain approval from CMS before using it. From HPMS, the BPT 
files may be downloaded as part of the Plan Benefit Package (or PBP) 
software, or they may be downloaded as stand-alone blank files. These 
files are made available to users on the first Monday of April every 
year and an HPMS memo is released announcing the software availability. 
Plan sponsors are required to upload the completed BPTs to HPMS by the 
first Monday in June each year.
    MAOs and PDPs use the Bid Pricing Tool (BPT) software to develop 
their actuarial pricing bid. The information provided in the BPT is the 
basis for the plan's enrollee premiums and CMS payments for each 
contract year. The tool collects data such as medical expense 
development (from claims data and/or manual rating), administrative 
expenses, profit levels, and projected plan enrollment information. By 
statute, completed BPTs are due to CMS by the first Monday of June each 
year. Form Number: CMS-10142 (OMB control number: 0938-0944); 
Frequency: Yearly; Affected Public: Private Sector, Business or other 
for-profits and Not- for-profit institution; Number of Respondents: 
555; Total Annual Responses: 4,995; Total Annual Hours: 149,850. (For 
policy questions regarding this collection contact Rachel Shevland at 
410-786-3026.)
    2. Type of Information Collection Request: Revision of a currently 
approved collection; Title of Information Collection: Contract Year 
2020 Plan Benefit Package (PBP) Software and Formulary Submission; Use: 
CMS requires that MA and PDP organizations submit a completed Plan 
Benefit Package (PBP) and formulary as part of the annual bidding 
process. During this process, organizations prepare their proposed plan 
benefit packages for the upcoming contract year and submit them to CMS 
for review and approval. The plan benefit package submission consists 
of the Plan Benefit Package (PBP) software, formulary file, and 
supporting documentation, as necessary. MA and PDP organizations use 
the PBP software to describe their organization's plan benefit 
packages, including information on premiums, cost sharing, 
authorization rules, and supplemental benefits. They also generate a 
formulary to describe their list of drugs, including information on 
prior authorization, step therapy, tiering, and quantity limits.
    Additionally, CMS uses the PBP and formulary data to review and 
approve the plan benefit packages proposed by each MA and PDP 
organization. This allows CMS to review the benefit packages in a 
consistent way across all submitted bids during with incredibly tight 
timeframes. This data is also used to populate data on Medicare Plan 
Finder, which allows beneficiaries to access and compare Medicare 
Advantage and Prescription Drug plans. Form Number: CMS-R-262 (OMB 
control number 0938-0763); Frequency: Yearly; Affected Public: Private 
Sector, Business or other for-profits and Not- for-profit institution; 
Number of Respondents: 570; Total Annual Responses: 6,760; Total Annual 
Hours: 65,354.50 (For policy questions regarding this collection 
contact Kristy Holtje at 410-786-2209.)
    3. Type of Information Collection Request: Extension of a currently 
approved collection; Title of Information Collection: Medicaid State 
Plan Base Plan Pages; Use: State Medicaid agencies complete the plan 
pages while we review the information to determine if the state has met 
all of the requirements of the provisions the states choose to 
implement. If the requirements are met, we will approve the amendments 
to the state's Medicaid plan giving the state the authority to 
implement the flexibilities. For a state to receive Medicaid Title XIX 
funding, there must be an approved Title XIX state plan. Form Number: 
CMS-179 (OMB control number 0938-0193); Frequency: Occasionally; 
Affected Public: State, Local, and Tribal Governments; Number of 
Respondents: 56; Total Annual Responses: 1,120; Total Annual Hours: 
22,400. (For policy questions regarding this collection contact Annette 
Pearson at 410-786-6958.)

    Dated: September 21, 2018.
William N. Parham, III,
Director, Paperwork Reduction Staff, Office of Strategic Operations and 
Regulatory Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2018-20995 Filed 9-28-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4120-01-P