[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 160 (Monday, August 23, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47119-47120]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-18018]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration

[OMB No. 0906-XXXX]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection: 
Public Comment Request Information Collection Request Title: COVID-19 
Provider Relief Programs Application and Attestation Portal, and Claims 
Reimbursement Submission Activities

AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Department 
of Health and Human Services (HHS).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirement for opportunity for public 
comment on proposed data collection projects of the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995, HRSA announces plans to submit an Information Collection 
Request (ICR), described below, to the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB). Prior to submitting the ICR to OMB, HRSA seeks comments from the 
public regarding the burden estimate, below, or any other aspect of the 
ICR.

DATES: Comments on this ICR should be received no later than October 
22, 2021.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments to [email protected] or mail the HRSA 
Information Collection Clearance Officer, Room 14N136B, 5600 Fishers 
Lane, Rockville, MD 20857.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request more information on the 
proposed project or to obtain a copy of the data collection plans and 
draft instruments, email [email protected] or call Lisa Wright-
Solomon, the HRSA Information Collection Clearance Officer at (301) 
443-1984.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: When submitting comments or requesting 
information, please include the information request collection title 
for reference.
    Information Collection Request Title: COVID-19 Provider Relief 
Programs Application and Attestation Portal, and Claims Reimbursement 
Submission Activities, OMB No. 0906-XXXX.
    Abstract: HRSA administers the Provider Relief Programs (which 
includes the Provider Relief Fund (PRF), the American Rescue Plan Act 
Rural (ARPA-R) payments, the COVID-19 Coverage Assistance Fund (CAF), 
and the COVID-19 Claims Reimbursement to Health Care Providers and 
Facilities for Testing, Treatment, and Vaccine Administration for the 
Uninsured (Uninsured Program or UIP). The

[[Page 47120]]

Provider Relief Programs disbursed, and are continuing to disburse, 
funds to eligible healthcare providers through two pathways: (1) Direct 
provider payments via the PRF and ARPA-R payments, and (2) claims 
reimbursement via the CAF and the UIP. This information collection 
includes four components: (1) The PRF and ARPA-R application portal; 
(2) the PRF and ARPA-R attestation portal; (3) the CAF application 
portal; and (4) the UIP application portal. To date, information for 
these programs has been collected under a Paperwork Reduction Act 
waiver executed pursuant to public health emergency authorities. HRSA 
is seeking comments regarding the CAF and the UIP for the first time. 
These information collections support administration of the Provider 
Relief Programs including the PRF, the Uninsured Program, and the CAF 
(funds for these three programs were appropriated under the Coronavirus 
Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (Pub. L. 116-136), Paycheck 
Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act (Pub. L. 116-139), 
Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act 
(Division M of Pub. L. 116-260)), and the ARPA-R payments (funds were 
appropriated under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, Pub. L. 117-
2).
    Need and Proposed Use of the Information: Providers who apply for 
Provider Relief Programs (i.e., PRF, ARPA-R, CAF, and UIP payments) 
must apply for direct provider payments or claims reimbursement and 
attest to a set of Terms and Conditions to enable HRSA's appropriate 
disbursement and oversight of recipients' use of funds.
    Information collected will allow for (1) assessing if recipients 
have met statutory and programmatic requirements; (2) conducting 
audits; (3) gathering data required to calculate, disburse, and report 
on PRF, ARPA-R, CAF, and UIP payments; and (4) program evaluation. HRSA 
staff may also use information collected to identify and report on 
trends in the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on health care providers 
and uninsured or underinsured patients throughout the United States.
    HHS makes publicly available the names of payment recipients and 
the aggregate amounts received, for all providers who attest to receipt 
of a payment and acceptance of the Terms and Conditions or who retain 
payments for more than 90 days and are deemed to have accepted the 
Terms and Conditions. By accepting funds, the recipient consents to HHS 
publicly disclosing the payments that recipient has received.
    Likely Respondents: Health care providers that apply to receive, or 
have applied to receive, PRF, ARPA-R, CAF, or UIP payments, and 
attested to the associated Terms and Conditions.
    Burden Statement: Burden in this context means the time expended by 
persons to generate, maintain, retain, disclose, or provide the 
information requested. This includes the time needed to review 
instructions; to develop, acquire, install, and utilize technology and 
systems for the purpose of collecting, validating, and verifying 
information, processing and maintaining information, and disclosing and 
providing information; to train personnel and to be able to respond to 
a collection of information; to search data sources; to complete and 
review the collection of information; and to transmit or otherwise 
disclose the information. The total annual burden hours estimated for 
this ICR are summarized in the table below.
    Total Estimated Annualized Burden Hours:

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                                                     Number of                    Average burden
            Form name                Number of     responses per       Total       per response    Total burden
                                    respondents     respondent       responses      (in hours)         hours
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Attestation Portal..............         130,000               1         130,000            0.25          32,500
Application Portal..............         130,000               1         130,000            1.00         130,000
CAF Application.................          15,000               1          15,000            1.00          15,000
UIP Application.................         280,000               1         280,000            5.60       1,568,000
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    Total.......................         555,000  ..............         555,000  ..............       1,745,500
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    HRSA specifically requests comments on (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.

Maria G. Button,
Director, Executive Secretariat.
[FR Doc. 2021-18018 Filed 8-20-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165-15-P