[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