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[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 26 (Friday, February 7, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7461-7462]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-02673]

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

[Document Identifiers: CMS-10499]

Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request

AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 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 (the 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 60 days for public 
comment on the proposed action. Interested persons are invited to send 
comments regarding our burden estimates 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.

DATES: Comments must be received by April 8, 2014.

ADDRESSES: When commenting, please reference the document identifier or 
OMB control number (OCN). To be assured consideration, comments and 
recommendations must be submitted in any one of the following ways:
    1. Electronically. You may send 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) that are 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.
    To obtain copies of a supporting statement and any related forms 
for the proposed collection(s) summarized in this notice, you may make 
your request using one of following:
    1. Access CMS' Web site address at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/PaperworkReductionActof1995.
    2. Email your request, including your address, phone number, OMB 
number, and CMS document identifier, to Paperwork@cms.hhs.gov.
    3. Call the Reports Clearance Office at (410) 786-1326.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Reports Clearance Office at (410) 786-
1326.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Contents

    This notice sets out a summary of the use and burden associated 
with the following information collections. More detailed information 
can be found in each collection's supporting statement and associated 
materials (see ADDRESSES).

CMS-10499 Public Health Agency/Registry Readiness To Support Meaningful 
Use

    Under the Paperwork Reduction Act (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 requires 
federal agencies to publish a 60-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.

Information Collections

    1. Type of Information Collection Request: New collection (Request 
for a new OMB control number); Title of Information Collection: Public 
Health Agency/Registry Readiness to Support Meaningful Use; Use: The 
Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs 
provide incentives for the meaningful use of Certified Electronic 
Health Record Technology (CEHRT). We defined meaningful use as a set of 
objectives and measures in either Stage 1 or Stage 2 depending on how 
long an eligible provider has participated in the program. Both Stage 1 
(3 objectives) and Stage 2 (5 objectives) of meaningful use contain 
objectives and measures that require eligible providers to determine 
the readiness of public health agencies and registries to receive 
electronic data from CEHRT. Public comments on the notice of proposed 
rulemaking for Stage 2 of meaningful use (77 FR 13697) asserted that 
the burden for each individual eligible provider to determine the 
readiness of multiple public health agencies and registries could be 
nearly eliminated if we were to maintain a database on the readiness of 
public health agencies and registries. In the final rule for Stage 2 of 
meaningful use (77 FR 53967), we agreed that the burden on eligible 
providers, public health agencies and registries would be greatly 
reduced and established that we would create such a database and it 
would serve as the

[[Page 7462]]

definitive information source for determining public health agency and 
registry readiness to receive electronic data associated with the 
public health meaningful use objectives. The information will be made 
publicly available on the CMS Web site (www.cms.gov/EHRincentiveprograms) in order to provide a centralized repository of 
this information to eligible providers and eliminate there multiple 
individual inquiries to multiple public health agencies and registries. 
Form Number: CMS-10499 (OCN: 0938--New); Frequency: Yearly; Affected 
Public: Private sector--Business or other for-profits and Not-for-
profit institutions; Number of Respondents: 250; Total Annual 
Responses: 250; Total Annual Hours: 83. (For policy questions regarding 
this collection contact Kathleen Connors de Laguna at 410-786-2256.)

    Dated: February 4, 2014.
Martique Jones,
Deputy Director, Regulations Development Group, Office of Strategic 
Operations and Regulatory Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2014-02673 Filed 2-6-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-01-P
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