[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 68 (Monday, April 8, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24480-24481]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-07429]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

[Document Identifiers: CMS-10887 and CMS-10394]


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.

[[Page 24481]]


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: The 
Medicare Advantage and Prescription Drug Programs: Part C and Part D 
Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug (MARx) System Updates for the 
Medicare Prescription Payment Plan Program; Use: The IRA amended the 
Act by adding section 1860D-2(b)(2)(E) which, beginning January 1, 
2025, establishes the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan program 
(hereinafter referred to as the ``program''). Under this program, MA 
Organizations offering Part D coverage and Part D sponsors 
(collectively ``Part D plans'' or ``Plans'') are required to offer 
enrollees the option to pay their Part D cost sharing in monthly 
amounts spread out over the plan year based on the formulae described 
in section 1860D-2(b)(2)(E)(iv) of the Act.
    To effectively monitor the program, Part D plans will be required 
to report data elements related to the program at the beneficiary, 
contract, and Plan Benefit Package (PBP)1 levels beginning in Contract 
Year (CY) 2025. In this information collection package, CMS addresses 
the proposal to require Part D plans to submit beneficiary-level data 
elements into the MARx system via a program-specific transaction 
(separate from the enrollment file). In accordance with the Plan 
Communication User Guide (PCUG), plans may submit multiple transaction 
files during any CMS business day, Monday through Friday. Plan 
transactions are processed as received; there is no minimum or maximum 
limit to the number of files that Plans may submit in a day. In 
general, transaction and processing occur throughout the Current 
Calendar Month (CCM). For CY 2025, CMS will not require independent 
data validation for this new MARx reporting requirement. Form Number: 
CMS-10887 (OMB control number: 0938-New); Frequency: Monthly; Affected 
Public: Private, Federal Government, Business or other for profits, 
Not-for-profits institutions; Number of Respondents: 856; Total Annual 
Responses: 3,200,856; Total Annual Hours: 59,958. (For policy questions 
regarding this collection contact Michael Brown at (872) 287-1370 or 
[email protected].)
    2. Type of Information Collection Request: Revision with change of 
a currently approved collection; Title of Information Collection: 
Application to be a Qualified Entity to Receive Medicare Data for 
Performance Measurement/Reapplication/Annual Report Worksheet; Use: The 
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) was enacted on March 
23, 2010 (Pub. L. 111-148). ACA amends section 1874 of the Social 
Security Act by adding a new subsection (e) to make standardized 
extracts of Medicare claims data under Parts A, B, and D available to 
QEs to evaluate the performance of providers of services and suppliers. 
This is the Application, Reapplication, and ARW which provides CMS with 
the information it needs to determine whether an organization earns 
approval and continues as a QE.
    CMS established the Qualified Entity Certification Program (QECP) 
to evaluate an organization's eligibility across three areas: (1) 
organizational and governance capabilities, (2) addition of claims data 
from other sources (as required in the statute), and (3) data privacy 
and security. QE certification lasts for 3 years. Organizations that 
are interested in remaining in the QE program must submit a 
Reapplication that is reviewed and approved by QECP. In addition, each 
year QEs must submit an annual report to QECP that provides information 
required by statute. Form Number: CMS-10394 (OMB control number: 0938-
1144); Frequency: Yearly; Affected Public: Business or other for-
profits; Number of Respondents: 40; Total Annual Responses: 210; Total 
Annual Hours: 17,400. (For policy questions regarding this collection 
contact Kari Gaare at [email protected].)

William N. Parham, III,
Director, Division of Information Collections and Regulatory Impacts, 
Office of Strategic Operations and Regulatory Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2024-07429 Filed 4-5-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-01-P