[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 68 (Monday, April 8, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Page 24479]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-07415]



[[Page 24479]]

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

[Document Identifier: CMS-10549]


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 May 8, 2024.

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, please access 
the CMS PRA website by copying and pasting the following web address 
into your web browser: https://www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance/Legislation/PaperworkReductionActof1995/PRA-Listing.

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: Extension without change 
of a currently approved collection; Title of Information Collection: 
Generic Clearance for Questionnaire Testing and Methodological Research 
for the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS); Use: The purpose of 
this OMB clearance package is to extend the approval of the current 
generic clearance for the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS). 
The MCBS Questionnaire Testing and Methodological Research encompasses 
development and testing of MCBS questionnaires, instrumentation, and 
data collection protocols, as well as a mechanism for conducting 
methodological experiments. The current clearance includes six types of 
potential research activities: (1) cognitive interviewing, (2) focus 
groups, (3) usability testing, (4a) field testing within the MCBS 
production environment, (4b) field testing as a separate data 
collection effort outside of the MCBS production environment, (5) 
respondent debriefings, and (6) research about incentives.
    The MCBS is a continuous, multipurpose survey of a nationally 
representative sample of aged, disabled, and institutionalized Medicare 
beneficiaries. The MCBS, which is sponsored by the Centers for Medicare 
& Medicaid Services (CMS), is the only comprehensive source of 
information on the health status, health care use and expenditures, 
health insurance coverage, and socioeconomic and demographic 
characteristics of the entire spectrum of Medicare beneficiaries. The 
core of the MCBS is a series of interviews with a stratified random 
sample of the Medicare population, including aged and disabled 
enrollees, residing in the community or in institutions. Questions are 
asked about enrollees' patterns of health care use, charges, insurance 
coverage, and payments over time. Respondents are asked about their 
sources of health care coverage and payment, their demographic 
characteristics, their health and work history, and their family living 
circumstances. In addition to collecting information through the core 
questionnaire, the MCBS collects information on special topics. Form 
Number: CMS-10549 (OMB control number: 0938-1275); Frequency: 
Occasionally; Affected Public: Individuals or Households; Number of 
Respondents: 11,655; Total Annual Responses: 11,655; Total Annual 
Hours: 3,947. (For policy questions regarding this collection contact 
William Long at 410-786-7927.)

William N. Parham, III,
Director, Division of Information Collections and Regulatory Impacts, 
Office of Strategic Operations and Regulatory Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2024-07415 Filed 4-5-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-01-P