[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 248 (Thursday, December 28, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 89701-89703]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-28623]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Community Living


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB 
Review; Public Comment Request; State Health Insurance Assistance 
Program (SHIP) Client Contact Forms OMB Control Number 0985-0040

AGENCY: Administration for Community Living, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Administration for Community Living is announcing that the 
proposed collection of information listed above has been submitted to 
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and clearance as 
required under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. This 30-day notice 
collects comments on the information collection requirements related to 
the proposed revision for the information collection requirements 
related to the State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) Client 
Contact Forms OMB Control Number 0985-0040.

DATES: Comments on the collection of information must be submitted 
electronically by 11:59 p.m. (EST) or postmarked by January 29, 2024.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments and recommendations for the proposed 
information collection within 30 days of publication of this notice to 
www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find the information collection by 
selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--Open for Public Comments'' 
or by using the search function. By mail to the Office of Information 
and Regulatory Affairs, OMB, New Executive Office Bldg., 725 17th St. 
NW, Rm. 10235, Washington, DC 20503, Attn: OMB Desk Officer for ACL.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Katherine Glendening, Administration 
for Community Living, <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#e7ac86938f82958e8982c9a08b82898382898e8980a786848bc98f8f94c9808891"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="7932180d111c0b10171c573e151c171d1c1710171e39181a155711110a571e160f">[email protected]</span></a>, (202) 795-7350.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction 
Act (44 U.S.C. 3507), the Administration for Community Living (ACL) has 
submitted the following proposed collection of information to OMB for 
review and clearance. The purpose of this data collection is to collect 
performance data from grantees, grantee team members and partners. 
Congress requires this data collection for program monitoring and 
Government Performance Results Act (GPRA) (31 U.S.C. 1115) purposes. 
This data collection allows ACL to communicate with Congress and the 
public on the SHIP, the Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) program, and the 
Medicare Improvements for Patients & Providers Act (MIPPA) program, in 
addition to the SHIP Data Performance Reports and Information 
Collection under OMB 0985-0040. The SHIP, SMP, and MIPPA programs are 
in each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, 
and the U.S. Virgin Islands. To ensure that grantees report activity 
accurately and consistently it is imperative that these data collection 
tools remain active. The respondents for

[[Page 89702]]

this data collection are grantees, grantee team members, and partners 
who meet with Medicare beneficiaries and older adults in-group settings 
and in one-on-one sessions to educate them on Medicare enrollment, 
Medicare benefits and subsidy programs, the importance of being aware 
of Medicare fraud, error, and abuse, and having the knowledge to 
protect the Medicare system.
    Authorizing Legislation: The Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 
1990 created the State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) 
(U.S.C. 1395b-4) and requires the Secretary to provide a series of 
reports to the U.S. Congress on the performance of the SHIP program 
annually. The law also requires ACL to report on the program's impact 
on beneficiaries and to obtain important feedback from beneficiaries. 
This tool captures the information and data necessary for ACL to meet 
these Congressional requirements, as well as, capturing performance 
data on individual grantees providing ACL with essential insight for 
monitoring and technical assistance purposes. In addition, MIPPA (42 
U.S.C. 1935b-3 notes), provided targeted funding for the SHIPs, area 
agencies on aging, and Aging and Disability Resource Centers to conduct 
enrollment assistance to Medicare beneficiaries for the Limited Income 
Subsidy and Medicare Savings Program. These activities have been funded 
nearly annually through a series of funding or extenders bills. This 
tool also collects performance and outcome data on the MIPPA Program 
providing ACL necessary information for monitoring and oversight.
    Under Public Law 104-208, the Omnibus Consolidated Appropriations 
Act of 1997, Congress established the Senior Medicare Patrol Projects 
to further curb losses to the Medicare program. The Senate Committee 
noted that retired professionals, with appropriate training, could 
serve as educators and resources to assist Medicare beneficiaries and 
others to detect and report errors, fraud, and abuse.
    Among other requirements, it directed ACL to work with the 
Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General 
(HHS/OIG) and the Government Accountability Office (GAO), to assess the 
performance of the program. ACL employs this tool to collect 
performance and outcome data on the SMP Program, necessary information 
for monitoring and oversight. ACL has shared this data and worked with 
HHS/OIG to develop SMP performance measures.
    The HHS/OIG has collected SMP performance data and issued SMP 
performance reports since 1997. The information from the current 
collection is reported by the HHS/OIG to Congress and the public. This 
information is also used by ACL as the primary method for monitoring 
the SMP Projects.
    This data collection will also support ACL in tracking performance 
outcomes and efficiency measures with respect to annual and long-term 
performance targets established in the GPRA.
    This information collection collects demographic data from people 
receiving programs and services funded by ACL. ACL will adhere to best 
practices for collection of all demographic information when this 
information is collected for the programs listed in accordance with OMB 
guidance.
    This includes, but is not limited to, guidance specific to the 
collection of sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) items that 
align with Executive Order 13985 on Advancing Racial Equity and Support 
for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government, Executive 
Order 14075 on Advancing Equality for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, 
Transgender, Queer, and Intersex Individuals, and Executive Order 13988 
on Preventing and Combating Discrimination on the Basis of Gender 
Identity and Sexual Orientation. Understanding these disparities can 
and should lead to improved service delivery for ACL's programs and 
populations served.

Comments in Response to the 60-Day Federal Register Notice

    ACL published a 60-day FRN on October 25, 2023, at 88 FR 73345. ACL 
did not receive any public comments during the 60-day FRN.
    Estimated Program Burden: ACL estimates the respondent burden hours 
to prepare and complete all reports associated with this collection as 
329,294 annual burden hours. This estimate is based on the current data 
system's aggregate data and reports. Modifying several forms, ACL has 
reduced the overall burden hours associated with this information 
collection along with grantees no longer generating reports outside of 
the data system.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                      Estimated time in   Fraction of an
             Form name                     minutes             hour
------------------------------------------------------------------------
SMP Media Outreach & Education....  4...................          0.0667
SMP Group Outreach & Education....  4...................          0.0667
SMP Individual Interaction........  5...................          0.0833
SMP Team Member Activity..........  5...................          0.0833
SMP Interaction...................  5...................          0.0833
SMP Team Member...................  7...................          0.1166
SHIP Media Outreach & Education...  4...................          0.0667
SHIP Group Outreach & Education...  4...................          0.0667
SHIP Team Member..................  7...................          0.1166
SHIP Beneficiary Contact..........  5...................          0.0833
SHIP Training Form................  6...................            0.10
SHIP Team Member Activity.........  7...................          0.1166
SHIP Training.....................  4...................          0.0667
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Estimated Annualized Burden Hours

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                     Number of    Average burden
    Grantee respondent type     Form/report name     Number of     responses per   per response    Total burden
                                                    respondents     respondent     (in minutes)        hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SMP...........................  Media Outreach &             216              46               4           662.4
                                 Education.
SMP...........................  Group Outreach &           6,935               4               4        1,849.33
                                 Education.

[[Page 89703]]

 
SMP...........................  Individual                 6,935              41               5       23,694.58
                                 Interaction.
SMP...........................  Team Member.....             216              31               5             558
SMP...........................  SIRS Team Member             216              31               5             558
                                 Activity.
*SMP..........................  OIG Report......             * 0               0               0               0
*SMP..........................  Time Spent                   * 0               0               0               0
                                 Report.
SHIP/MIPPA....................  Media Outreach &           3,750              15               4           3,750
                                 Education.
SHIP/MIPPA....................  Group Outreach &           3,750              15               4           3,750
                                 Education.
SHIP/MIPPA....................  STARS Team                   216              75               5           1,350
                                 Member.
SHIP/MIPPA....................  Beneficiary               15,000             233               5         291,250
                                 Contact.
*SHIP/MIPPA...................  SHIP Performance             * 0               0               0               0
                                 Report.
*SHIP/MIPPA...................  Resource Report.             * 0               0               0               0
*SHIP/MIPPA...................  MIPPA                        * 0               0               0               0
                                 Performance
                                 Report.
SHIP/MIPPA....................  SHIP Team Member             216              40               7           1,008
                                 Activity.
SHIP/MIPPA....................  Team Member                  216              40               6             864
                                 Training.
*SHIP/SMP/MIPPA...............  Summary Reports.             * 0               0               0               0
*SHIP/MIPPA...................  Part D                       * 0               0               0               0
                                 Enrollment
                                 Outcomes Report.
    Totals....................  ................          37,666             571  ..............      329,294.31
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* This data collection activity is an automated task in the system and does not compute to an estimate of time
  for burden.


    Dated: December 21, 2023.
Alison Barkoff,
Principal Deputy Administrator for the Administration for Community 
Living, performing the delegable duties of the Administrator and the 
Assistant Secretary for Aging.
[FR Doc. 2023-28623 Filed 12-27-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4154-01-P


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