Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 145 / Friday, July 27, 2012 / Notices 44241 

ESTIMATED ANNUALIZED BURDEN TABLE—Continued 

Section Type of respondent Number of 

respondents 

Number of 

responses per 

respondent 

Average burden (in hours) 

per response 

Total burden 

hours 

Total ........... ........................................................................................... ........................ ........................ ........................ 62,254,161 

Keith A. Tucker, 

Office of the Secretary, Paperwork Reduction 

Act Clearance Officer. 

[FR Doc. 2012–18335 Filed 7–26–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4153–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 

Services 

[Document Identifier: CMS–10333] 

Agency Information Collection 

Activities: Proposed Collection; 

Comment Request 

AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & 

Medicaid Services, HHS. 

In compliance with the requirement 

of section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 

Services (CMS) is publishing the 

following summary of proposed 

collections for public comment. 

Interested persons are invited to send 

comments regarding this burden 

estimate or any other aspect of this 

collection of information, including any 

of the following subjects: (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. 

1. Type of Information Collection 

Request: Revision of a currently 

approved collection; Title: Consumer 

Assistance Program Grants; Use: Section 

1002 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) 

provides for the establishment of 

consumer assistance (or ombudsman) 

programs, starting in FY 2010. Federal 

grants will support these programs. 

These programs will assist consumers 

with filing complaints and appeals, 

assist consumers with enrollment into 

health coverage, collect data on 

consumer inquiries and complaints to 

identify problems in the marketplace, 

educate consumers on their rights and 

responsibilities, and with the 

establishment of the new Exchange 

marketplaces, resolve problems with 

premium credits for Exchange coverage. 

Importantly, these programs must 

provide detailed reporting on the types 

of problems and questions consumers 

may experience with health coverage, 

and how these problems and questions 

are resolved. In order to strengthen 

oversight, section 2793(d) of the ACA 

requires programs to report data to the 

Secretary of the Department of Health 

and Human Services (HHS) ‘‘As a 

condition of receiving a grant under 

subsection (a), an office of health 

insurance consumer assistance or 

ombudsman program shall be required 

to collect and report data to the 

Secretary on the types of problems and 

inquiries encountered by consumers’’. 

Analysis of this data reporting will 

help identify patterns of practice in the 

insurance marketplaces and uncover 

suspected patterns of noncompliance. 

HHS must share program data reports 

with the Departments of Labor and 

Treasury, and State regulators. Program 

data also can offer CMS one indication 

of the effectiveness of State 

enforcement, affording opportunities to 

provide technical assistance and 

support to State insurance regulators 

and, in extreme cases, inform the need 

to trigger federal enforcement. Form 

Number: CMS–10333 (OMB#: 0938– 

1097); Frequency: Quarterly and 

Annually; Affected Public: Private 

Sector: State, Local, or Tribal 

Governments; Number of Respondents: 

56; Total Annual Responses: 504; Total 

Annual Hours: 129–261 hours. (For 

policy questions regarding this 

collection contact Eliza Bangit at 301– 

492–4219. For all other issues call 410– 

786–1326.) 

To obtain copies of the supporting 

statement and any related forms for the 

proposed paperwork collections 

referenced above, access CMS’ Web Site 

address at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/

PaperworkReductionActof1995, or email 

your request, including your address, 

phone number, OMB number, and CMS 

document identifier, to Paperwork@cms.

hhs.gov, or call the Reports Clearance 

Office on (410) 786–1326. 

In commenting on the proposed 

information collections please reference 

the document identifier or OMB control 

number. To be assured consideration, 

comments and recommendations must 

be submitted in one of the following 

ways by September 25, 2012: 

1. Electronically. You may submit 

your comments electronically to http:// 

www.regulations.gov. Follow the 

instructions for ‘‘Comment or 

Submission’’ or ‘‘More Search Options’’ 

to find the information collection 

document(s) accepting comments. 

2. By regular mail. You may mail 

written comments to the following 

address: 

CMS, Office of Strategic Operations and 

Regulatory Affairs, Division of 

Regulations Development, Attention: 

Document Identifier/OMB Control 

Number ____, Room C4–26–05, 7500 

Security Boulevard, Baltimore, 

Maryland 21244–1850. 

Dated: July 24, 2012. 

Martique Jones, 

Director, Regulations Development Group, 

Division B, Office of Strategic Operations and 

Regulatory Affairs. 

[FR Doc. 2012–18344 Filed 7–26–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4120–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 

Services 

[Document Identifier CMS–10169] 

Agency Information Collection 

Activities: Submission for OMB 

Review; Comment Request 

AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & 

Medicaid Services, HHS. 

In compliance with the requirement 

of section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 

Services (CMS), Department of Health 

and Human Services, is publishing the 

following summary of proposed 

collections for public comment. 

Interested persons are invited to send 

comments regarding this burden 

estimate or any other aspect of this 

collection of information, including any 

of the following subjects: (1) The 

necessity and utility of the proposed 

information collection for the proper 

performance of the Agency’s function; 

(2) the accuracy of the estimated 

burden; (3) ways to enhance the quality, 


erowe on DSK2VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
44242 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 145 / Friday, July 27, 2012 / Notices 

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. 

1. Type of Information Collection 

Request: Revised collection; Title of 

Information Collection: Durable Medical 

Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and 

Supplies (DMEPOS) Competitive 

Bidding Program; Use: The Centers for 

Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) 

will conduct competitive bidding 

programs in which certain suppliers 

will be awarded contracts to provide 

competitively bid DMEPOS items to 

Medicare beneficiaries in a competitive 

bidding area (CBA). CMS conducted its 

first round of bidding in 2007 which 

was implemented on July 1, 2008. The 

first round of bidding was subsequently 

delayed by section 154 of the Medicare 

Improvements for Patients and 

Providers Act of 2008 (MIPPA). 

As required by MIPPA, CMS 

conducted the competition for the 

Round 1 Rebid in 2009. The Round 1 

Rebid contract and prices became 

effective on January 1, 2011. The 

Medicare Modernization Act (MMA) 

requires the Secretary to recompete 

contracts not less often than once every 

3 years; therefore, CMS is preparing to 

recompete competitive bidding 

contracts in the Round 1 Rebid areas. 

The 60-day Federal Register notice 

published on May 7, 2012, (77 FR 

26763). Subsequently, the Application 

for Suppliers/Networks collection 

instrument has been revised by 

clarifying, removing and renumbering a 

few questions. The burden estimate has 

not changed. Form Number: CMS– 

10169 (OCN: 0938–1016); Frequency: 

Reporting—Occasionally; Affected 

Public: Business or other for-profit, Notfor-profit institutions; Number of 

Respondents: 16,003; Total Annual 

Responses: 20,047; Total Annual Hours: 

34,795. (For policy questions regarding 

this collection contact James Cowher at 

410–786–1948. For all other issues call 

410–786–1326.) 

To obtain copies of the supporting 

statement and any related forms for the 

proposed paperwork collections 

referenced above, access CMS Web Site 

address at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/

PaperworkReductionActof1995, or 

Email your request, including your 

address, phone number, OMB number, 

and CMS document identifier, to 

Paperwork@cms.hhs.gov, or call the 

Reports Clearance Office on (410) 786– 

1326. 

To be assured consideration, 

comments and recommendations for the 

proposed information collections must 

be received by the OMB desk officer at 

the address below, no later than 5 p.m. 

on August 27, 2012. 

OMB, Office of Information and 

Regulatory Affairs, Attention: CMS 

Desk Officer, Fax Number: (202) 395– 

6974, Email: OIRA_submission@omb.

eop.gov. 

Dated: July 24, 2012. 

Martique Jones, 

Director, Regulations Development Group, 

Division B, Office of Strategic Operations and 

Regulatory Affairs. 

[FR Doc. 2012–18346 Filed 7–26–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4120–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 

Services 

[CMS–1434–N] 

RIN 0938–AR17 

Medicare Program; Hospice Wage 

Index for Fiscal Year 2013 

AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & 

Medicaid Services (CMS), Health and 

Human Services (HHS). 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: This notice sets forth the 

hospice wage index for fiscal year (FY) 

2013 and will continue the phase-out of 

the wage index budget neutrality 

adjustment factor (BNAF), with an 

additional 15 percent BNAF reduction, 

for a total BNAF reduction through FY 

2013 of 55 percent. The BNAF phaseout will continue with successive 15 

percent reductions from FY 2014 

through FY 2016. This notice clarifies 

that providers should report additional 

diagnoses on hospice claims. This 

notice also updates the public on the 

status of hospice payment reform and 

the quality reporting program. 

DATES: This notice is effective on 

October 1, 2012. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Anjana Patel, (410) 786–2120 for 

questions regarding hospice wage 

index. 

Katie Lucas, (410) 786–7723 for 

questions regarding diagnosis 

reporting on claims. 

Zinnia Harrison, (410) 786–4587 for 

questions regarding payment reform. 

Robin Dowell, (410) 786–0060 for 

questions regarding quality reporting 

for hospices. 

Hillary Loeffler, (410) 786–0456 for 

questions regarding this notice. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Addenda Are Only Available Through 

the Internet on the CMS Web Site 

In the past, the Addenda referred to 

throughout the preamble of our 

proposed and final rules or notices were 

available in the Federal Register. 

However, the Addenda of the annual 

proposed and final rules, or annual 

notices, will no longer be available in 

the Federal Register. Instead, these 

Addenda to the annual proposed and 

final rules or annual notices will be 

available only through the Internet on 

the CMS Web site. The Addenda to the 

FY 2013 Hospice Wage Index Notice are 

available at: http://www.cms.gov/ 

Medicare/Medicare-Fee-for-ServicePayment/Hospice/index.html. Readers 

who experience any problems accessing 

any of the Addenda to the proposed and 

final rules or notices related to the 

hospice wage index that are posted on 

the CMS Web site identified above 

should contact Anjana Patel at 

410–786–2120. 

Table of Contents 

I. Background 

A. General 

1. Hospice Care 

2. Medicare Payment for Hospice Care 

B. Hospice Wage Index 

1. Raw Wage Index Values (Pre-Floor, 

Pre-Reclassified Hospital Wage Index) 

2. Definition of Rural and Urban Areas 

3. Areas Without Hospital Wage Data 

4. CBSA Nomenclature Changes 

5. Wage Data for Multi-Campus Hospitals 

6. Hospice Payment Rates 

II. Provisions of the Notice 

A. FY 2013 Hospice Wage Index 

1. Background 

2. Areas Without Hospital Wage Data 

3. FY 2013 Wage Index With an Additional 

15 Percent Reduced Budget Neutrality 

Adjustment Factor (BNAF) 

4. Effects of Phasing Out the BNAF 

B. Clarification Regarding Diagnosis 

Reporting on Hospice Claims 

C. Update on Hospice Payment Reform 

D. Update on the Hospice Quality 

Reporting Program 

III. Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking 

IV. Collection of Information Requirements 

V. Economic Analyses 

A. Regulatory Impact Analysis 

1. Introduction 

2. Statement of Need 

3. Overall Impacts 

4. Detailed Economic Analysis 

a. Effects on Hospices 

b. Hospice Size 

c. Geographic Location 

d. Type of Ownership 

e. Hospice Base 

f. Effects on Other Providers 

g. Effects on the Medicare and Medicaid 

Programs 

h. Accounting Statement 

i. Conclusion 

B. Regulatory Flexibility Act Analysis 

C. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act 

Analysis 


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