[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 46 (Wednesday, March 9, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13300-13301]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-04980]



[[Page 13300]]

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection: 
Public Comment Request Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program 
Performance, OMB No. 0915-0363--Revision

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

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 May 9, 
2022.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments to [email protected] or by mail to 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 Samantha Miller, 
the HRSA Information Collection Clearance Officer at (301) 443-9094.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: When submitting comments or requesting 
information, please include the information collection request title 
for reference.
    Information Collection Request Title: Medicare Rural Hospital 
Flexibility Program Performance OMB No. 0915-0363--Revision.
    Abstract: This information collection request is for continued 
approval of the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program Performance 
Measures. HRSA is proposing to continue this data collection with minor 
changes to the organization of the data. The current performance 
measures are collected electronically in the Performance Improvement 
and Measurement System which awardees access securely through the HRSA 
Electronic Handbooks.
    The Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program (Flex Program) is 
authorized by Section 1820 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395i-
4), as amended. The purpose of the Flex Program is to enable state 
designated entities to support critical access hospitals in quality 
improvement, quality reporting, performance improvement, and 
benchmarking; to assist facilities seeking designation as critical 
access hospitals; and to create a program to establish or expand the 
provision of rural emergency medical services (EMS).
    Need and Proposed Use of the Information: For this program, 
performance measures were developed to provide data useful to the Flex 
program and to enable HRSA to provide aggregate program data required 
by Congress under the Government Performance and Results Modernization 
Act of 2010. These measures cover principal topic areas of interest to 
the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy, including: (a) Quality 
reporting, (b) quality improvement interventions, (c) financial and 
operational improvement initiatives, (d) population health management, 
(e) rural EMS integration and (f) innovative care models. In addition 
to informing the Office's progress toward meeting the goals set in the 
Government Performance and Results Modernization Act of 2010, the 
information is important in identifying and understanding programmatic 
improvement across program areas, as well as guiding future iterations 
of the Flex Program and prioritizing areas of need and support. This 
submission includes the addition of minor revisions in the organization 
of the measures to align with the changes to the organization of the 
program areas within the Flex Program. The revisions include changes to 
align with current language and a broadening of scope for some 
activities. The measures will remain unchanged. For example: 
Previously, population health improvement activities were combined with 
rural EMS integration, and these measures will be separated into two 
distinct program areas. The burden remains unchanged with these 
changes.
    Likely Respondents: Respondents are the Flex Program coordinators 
for the states participating in the Flex Program. There are currently 
45 states participating in the Flex Program.
    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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Performance Improvement                       45               1              45              70           3,150
 Measurement System (within the
 Electronic Handbooks system....
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    Total.......................              45  ..............              45              70           3,150
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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. 2022-04980 Filed 3-8-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165-15-P