5850 Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 23 / Friday, February 3, 2006 / Notices 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 

Services 

[Document Identifier: CMS 10174, CMS–460, 

and CMS–10097] 

Agency Information Collection 

Activities: Proposed Collection; 

Comment Request 

AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & 

Medicaid Services. 

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: Extension Collection; Title of 

Information Collection: Collection of 

Prescription Drug Data from MA–PD, 

PDP and Fallout Plans/Sponsors for 

Medicare Part D Payments; Use: The 

Medicare Prescription Drug 

Improvement and Modernization Act 

(MMA) requires Medicare payment to 

Medicare Advantage (MA) 

organizations, prescription drug plans 

(PDP) sponsors, Fallbacks, and other 

plan sponsors offering coverage of 

outpatient prescription drugs under the 

new Medicare Part D benefit. The MMA 

provided four summary mechanisms for 

paying plans: direct subsidies, 

subsidized coverage for qualifying lowincome individuals, Federal reinsurance 

subsidies, and risk corridor payments. 

In order to make payment in accordance 

with these provisions, CMS has 

determined it needs to collect a limited 

set of data elements for 100 percent of 

prescription drug claims or events from 

plans offering Part D coverage. The 

transmission of the statutorily required 

data will be in an electronic format. The 

information users will be Pharmacy 

Benefit Managers (PBM), third party 

administrators and pharmacies, and the 

PDPs, MA–PDs, Fallbacks, and other 

plan sponsors that offer coverage of 

outpatient prescription drugs under the 

new Medicare Part D benefit to 

Medicare beneficiaries. The statutorily 

required data will be used primarily for 

payment, claims validation, quality 

monitoring, and program integrity and 

oversight; Form Number: CMS–10174 

(OMB#: 0938–0982); Frequency: 

Monthly, Quarterly and Annually; 

Affected Public: Business or other forprofit, and not-for-profit institutions; 

Number of Respondents: 455; Total 

Annual Responses: 2,418,000,000; Total 

Annual Hours: 4,836. 

2. Type of Information Collection 

Request: Extension of a currently 

approved collection; Title of 

Information Collection: Medicare 

Participating Physician or Supplier 

Agreement; Form No.: CMS–460 (OMB# 

0938–0373); Use: Form number CMS–

460 is completed by nonparticipating 

physicians and suppliers if they choose 

to participate in Medicare Part B. By 

signing the agreement, the physician or 

supplier agrees to take assignment on all 

Medicare claims. To take assignment 

means to accept the Medicare allowed 

amount as payment in full for the 

services they furnish and to charge the 

beneficiary no more than the deductible 

and coinsurance for the covered service. 

In exchange for signing the agreement, 

the physician or supplier receives a 

significant number of program benefits 

not available to nonparticipating 

suppliers. The information associated 

with this collection is needed to identify 

the recipients of the program benefits; 

Frequency: Reporting, Other—when 

starting a new business; Affected Public: 

Business or other for-profit, Individuals 

or Households; Number of Respondents: 

6000; Total Annual Responses: 6000; 

Total Annual Hours: 1500. 

3. Type of Information Collection 

Request: Extension of a currently 

approved collection; Title of 

Information Collection: Medicare 

Contractor Provider Satisfaction Survey 

(MCPSS); Form No.: CMS–10097 (OMB# 

0938–0915); Use: The Centers for 

Medicare & Medicaid Services will 

obtain feedback from over 30,000 

Medicare providers via a survey about 

satisfaction, attitudes and perceptions 

regarding the services provided by 

Medicare Fee-for-Service (FFS) Carriers, 

Fiscal Intermediaries, Durable Medical 

Equipment Suppliers, and Regional 

Home Health Intermediaries and 

Medicare Administrative Contractors. 

The survey focuses on basic business 

functions provided by the Medicare 

Contractors such as inquiries, provider 

communications, claims processing, 

appeals, provider enrollment, medical 

review and provider audit & 

reimbursement. Providers will receive a 

notice requesting they use a specially 

constructed web site to respond to a set 

of questions customized for their 

contractor’s responsibilities. The survey 

will be conducted yearly and annual 

reports of the survey results will be 

available via an online reporting system 

for use by CMS, Medicare Contractors, 

and the general public; Frequency: 

Reporting—Annually; Affected Public: 

Business or other for-profit, not-forprofit institutions; Number of 

Respondents: 20,514; Total Annual 

Responses: 20,514; Total Annual Hours: 

7209. 

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 at the address below, no 

later than 5 p.m. on April 4, 2006. CMS, 

Office of Strategic Operations and 

Regulatory Affairs, Division of 

Regulations Development—C, Attention: 

Bonnie L. Harkless, Room C4–26–05, 

7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, 

Maryland 21244–1850. 

Dated: January 25, 2006. 

Michelle Shortt, 

Director, Regulations Development Group, 

Office of Strategic Operations and Regulatory 

Affairs. 

[FR Doc. 06–952 Filed 2–2–06; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4120–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid 

Services 

[Document Identifier: CMS–10180] 

Emergency Clearance: Public 

Information Collection Requirements 

Submitted to the Office of Management 

and Budget (OMB) 

AGENCY: Center for Medicare and 

Medicaid Services. 

In compliance with the requirement 

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

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid 

Services (CMS), Department of Health 

and Human Services, is publishing the 

following summary of proposed 


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