[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 194 (Tuesday, October 6, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63116-63117]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-22090]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

[Document Identifier: CMS-10261 & CMS-10636]


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

AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Health and Human 
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 (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 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 on the collection(s) of information must be received by 
the OMB desk officer by November 5, 2020.

[[Page 63117]]


ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed 
information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of 
this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this particular 
information collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--
Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search function.
    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 following:
    1. Access CMS' website address at website address at https://www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance/Legislation/PaperworkReductionActof1995/PRA-Listing.html.
    2. Call the Reports Clearance Office at (410) 786-1326.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: William Parham at (410) 786-4669.

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(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 (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 with change of 
a previously approved collection; Title of Information Collection: Part 
C Medicare Advantage Reporting Requirements and Supporting Regulations 
in 42 CFR 422.516(a); Use: Section 1852(m) of the Social Security Act 
(the Act) and CMS regulations at 42 CFR 422.135 allow Medicare 
Advantage (MA) plans the ability to provide ``additional telehealth 
benefits'' to enrollees starting in plan year 2020 and treat them as 
basic benefits. MA additional telehealth benefits are limited to 
services for which benefits are available under Medicare Part B but 
which are not payable under section 1834(m) of the Act. In addition, MA 
additional telehealth benefits are services that been identified by the 
MA plan for the applicable year as clinically appropriate to furnish 
through electronic information and telecommunications technology (or 
``electronic exchange'') when the physician (as defined in section 
1861(r) of the Act) or practitioner (as defined in section 
1842(b)(18)(C) of the Act) providing the service is not in the same 
location as the enrollee. Per Sec.  422.135(d), MA plans may only 
furnish MA additional telehealth benefits using contracted providers. 
The data collected in this measure will provide CMS with a better 
understanding of the number of organizations utilizing Telehealth per 
contract and to also capture those specialties used for both in-person 
and Telehealth. This data will allow CMS to improve its policy and 
process surrounding Telehealth. In addition, the specialist and 
facility data we are collecting aligns with some of the provider and 
facility specialty types that organizations are required to include in 
their networks and to submit on their HSD tables in the Network 
Management Module in Health Plan Management System. Form Number: CMS-
10261 (OMB control number 0938-1054); Frequency: Occasionally; Affected 
Public: State, Local, and Tribal Governments; Number of Respondents: 
759; Total Annual Responses: 5,313; Total Annual Hours: 224,664 (For 
policy questions regarding this collection contact Maria Sotirelis at 
410-786-0552.)
    2. Type of Information Collection Request: Revision with change of 
a previously approved collection; Title of Information Collection: 
Triennial Network Adequacy Review for Medicare Advantage Organizations 
and 1876 Cost Plans; Use: CMS regulations at 42 CFR 417.414, 417.416, 
422.112(a)(1)(i), and 422.114(a)(3)(ii) require that all Medicare 
Advantage organizations (MAOs) offering coordinated care plans, 
network-based private fee-for-service (PFFS) plans, and as well as 
section 1876 cost organizations, maintain a network of appropriate 
providers that is sufficient to provide adequate access to covered 
services to meet the needs of the population served. To enforce this 
requirement, CMS developed network adequacy criteria which set forth 
the minimum number of providers and maximum travel time and distance 
from enrollees to providers, for required provider specialty types in 
each county in the United States and its territories. Organizations 
must be in compliance with the current CMS network adequacy criteria 
guidance, which is updated and published annually on CMS's website. 
Additional network policy guidance is also located in chapter 4 of the 
Medicare Managed Care Manual. This collection of information is 
essential to appropriate and timely compliance monitoring by CMS, in 
order to ensure that all active contracts offering network-based plans 
maintain an adequate network.
    CMS verifies that organizations are compliant with the CMS network 
adequacy criteria by performing a contract-level network review, which 
occurs when CMS requests an organization upload provider and facility 
Health Service Delivery (HSD) tables for a given contract to the Health 
Plan Management System (HPMS). CMS reviews networks on a three-year 
cycle, unless there is an event that triggers an intermediate full 
network review, thus resetting the organization's triennial review. The 
triennial review cycle will help ensure a consistent process for 
network oversight and monitoring.
    Once CMS staff reviews the ACC reports and any Exception Requests 
and/or Partial County Justifications, CMS then makes its final 
determination on whether the organization is operating in compliance 
with current CMS network adequacy criteria. If the organization passes 
its network review for a given contract, then CMS will take no further 
action. If the organization fails its network review for a given 
contract, then CMS will take appropriate compliance actions. CMS has 
developed a compliance methodology for network adequacy reviews that 
will ensure a consistent approach across all organizations. Form 
Number: CMS-10636 (OMB control number 0938-1346); Frequency: 
Occasionally; Affected Public: State, Local, and Tribal Governments; 
Number of Respondents: 140; Total Annual Responses: 1,416; Total Annual 
Hours: 13,372. (For policy questions regarding this collection contact 
Amber Casserly at 410-786-5530.)

    Dated: October 1, 2020.
William N. Parham, III,
Director, Paperwork Reduction Staff, Office of Strategic Operations and 
Regulatory Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2020-22090 Filed 10-5-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-01-P