[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 143 (Thursday, July 29, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40847-40848]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-16200]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

[Document Identifier: CMS-10701 and CMS-10757]


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 August 30, 2021.

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.

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: New Collection (Request 
for a new OMB control number); Title of Information Collection: 
Medicare Beneficiary Experiences with Care Survey (MBECS) System; Use: 
The MBECS system is designed to conduct population specific surveys 
that will be administered to the group of interest, fielded one time. 
This means that over the three-year period, two individual surveys will 
be administered. This will allow CMS OMH to respond quickly to the data 
needs of stakeholders with interests in these underrepresented groups. 
Data collected through the MBECS system will be used to better 
understand--and thus serve the needs of--Medicare beneficiaries in 
minority populations. The core questionnaire will collect information 
on communication with medical professionals, coordination of health 
care, experiences getting needed health care, experiences with personal 
doctors and specialists, and key demographics. Data will be compared to 
benchmarks from the FFS CAHPS, MA CAHPS, and NAM CAHPS surveys. The 
population-specific questionnaire module described and submitted via a 
specific collection request will collect information about issues most 
relevant for that particular group of interest.
    The goal of this umbrella data collection effort is to gather data 
via separate surveys on a variety of minority Medicare beneficiaries' 
experiences. Topics and questions of interest may ask about 
beneficiaries' communication with medical professionals, coordination 
of health care, experiences getting needed health care, and experiences 
with personal doctors and specialists. CMS OMH will compare survey data 
to benchmarks from the general population of Medicare beneficiaries 
while controlling for population characteristics, as appropriate.
    Survey respondents will have the opportunity to respond to an MBECS 
survey via a self-administered web-based survey (also called computer-
assisted web interview or CAWI). CAWI technology minimizes respondent 
burden by (1) automatically providing text fills within questions and 
handling skip patterns based on responses to each question; (2) 
allowing respondents to complete the survey at a convenient time; (3) 
allowing respondents to stop and re-enter the survey if needed; and (4) 
capturing data in real-time, thereby eliminating the need for manual 
data entry. Form Number: CMS-10701 (OMB Control number: 0938-New); 
Frequency: Annually; Affected Public: Individuals and Households; 
Number of Respondents: 13,000; Total Annual Responses: 13,000; Total 
Annual Hours: 4,290 (For policy questions regarding this collection 
contact Luis Pons Perez at 410-786-8557).
    2. Type of Information Collection Request: Extension of a currently 
approved information collection; Title

[[Page 40848]]

of Information Collection: CLIA Collection of Information Requirements 
Related to SARS-CoV-2 Test Results Reporting; Use: In order to be in 
compliance with the new CLIA mandatory SARS-CoV-2 test results 
reporting requirements, laboratories will need to develop a mechanism 
to track, collect, and report test results as well as update policies 
and procedures. In addition, Accreditation Organizations (AOs) and 
Exempt States (ESs) will need to update laboratory standards to reflect 
the reporting requirements and update policies and procedures related 
to reporting laboratories that do not report test results as required.
    The CDC has an information collection request (OMB Control Number 
0920-1299) in order to collect laboratory data related to the COVID-19 
Pandemic Response. The CMS package (ICR) is for laboratory 
implementation and CMS monitoring of compliance with the CMS-3401-IFC 
CLIA-certified laboratory reporting requirements.
    The information collected by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid 
Services (CMS) or its designee, such as a CMS agent or CMS approved 
laboratory accreditation organization, when conducting inspections will 
be used to determine a laboratory's compliance with the CLIA SARS-CoV-2 
test result reporting requirements. During an on-site survey, the 
Condition-level laboratory requirement at 42 CFR 493.41and 493.1100(a) 
are assessed for compliance. The information is used by CMS in 
determining appropriate Civil Money Penalties (CMPs) when laboratories 
fail to report as required. Form Number: CMS-10757 (OMB control number: 
0938-1391); Frequency: Daily; Affected Public: Private Sector Not-for-
profit institutions and State, Local and Tribal Governments; Number of 
Respondents: 77,033; Total Annual Responses: 308,114; Total Annual 
Hours: 1,386,873 (For policy questions regarding this collection 
contact Sarah Bennett at 410-786-3354.)

    Dated: July 26, 2021.
William N. Parham, III,
Director, Paperwork Reduction Staff, Office of Strategic Operations and 
Regulatory Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2021-16200 Filed 7-28-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-01-P