[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 32 (Tuesday, February 18, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7240-7241]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-3893]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Health Care Financing Administration

HCFA-P-15A


Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB 
Review; Comment Request

    In compliance with the requirement of section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Health Care Financing 
Administration (HCFA), Department of Health and Human Services, has 
submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) the following 
proposal for the collection of information. Interested persons are 
invited to send comments regarding the 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.
    HCFA-P-15A Type of Information Collection Request: Extension of 
currently approved collection; Title of Information Collection: 
Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey Supplement-Round 18; Form No.: 
HCFA-'P-15A; Use: The Office of the Actuary, HCFA, conducts the 
Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) through personal interviews 
of a random sample of Medicare beneficiaries. When sampled persons are 
found to reside in a long-term care facility, interviewers use a 
version of the questionnaire which is specially designed to obtain data 
about the beneficiary's health care from knowledgeable staff members. 
We are preparing to convert the facility interview from a hard--copy 
questionnaire to a Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI) 
format, beginning in May, 1997. CAPI, which we are currently using in 
the community interviews, increases the accuracy of the interview 
process by automating skip patterns, customizing questions, creating 
computed variables such as a time line of residence history, and 
automatically checking completeness and consistency of responses. 
Concurrently, we are modifying some of the questions we currently use 
in the facility interview to make them more comparable to those in 
other surveys, particularly the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey 
(MEPS). These modifications are responsive to the President's 
initiative toward consistency and integration among surveys; Frequency: 
Annually; Affected Public:; Number of Respondents: 1,900;

[[Page 7241]]

Total Annual Responses: 1,900; Total Annual Hours: 1,900.
    To obtain copies of the supporting statement for the proposed 
paperwork collections referenced above, call the Reports Clearance 
Office on (410) 786-1326. Written comments and recommendations for the 
proposed information collections must be mailed within 30 days of this 
notice directly to the HCFA Paperwork Clearance Officer designated at 
the following address: OMB Human Resources and Housing Branch, 
Attention: Allison Eydt, New Executive Office Building, Room 10235, 
Washington, D.C. 20503.

    Dated: February 10, 1997.
Edwin J. Glatzel,
Director, Management Analysis and Planning Staff, Office of Financial 
and Human Resources, Health Care Financing Administration.
[FR Doc. 97-3893 Filed 2-14-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-03-P