[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 64 (Monday, April 4, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19517-19518]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-07055]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

[Document Identifiers: CMS-P-0015A and CMS-10394]


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

AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Health and Human 
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 (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 a second opportunity 
for public comment on the notice. Interested persons are invited to 
send comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of this 
collection of information, including the necessity and utility of the 
proposed information collection for the proper performance of the 
agency's functions, the accuracy of the estimated burden, ways to 
enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be 
collected, and the use of automated collection techniques or other 
forms of information technology to minimize the information collection 
burden.

DATES: Comments on the collection(s) of information must be received by 
the OMB desk officer by May 4, 2022.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed 
information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of 
this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this particular 
information collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--
Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search function.
    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' website address at website address at: https://www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance/Legislation/PaperworkReductionActof1995/PRA-Listing.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: William Parham at (410) 786-4669.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 
(PRA) (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 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)) requires 
federal agencies to publish a 30-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 that 
summarizes the following proposed collection(s) of information for 
public comment:
    1. Type of Information Collection Request: Revision of a currently 
approved collection; Title of Information Collection: Medicare Current 
Beneficiary Survey (MCBS); Use: CMS is the largest single payer of 
health care in the United States. The agency plays a direct or indirect 
role in administering health insurance coverage for more than 120 
million people across

[[Page 19518]]

the Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, and Exchange populations. A critical aim 
for CMS is to be an effective steward, major force, and trustworthy 
partner in supporting innovative approaches to improving quality, 
accessibility, and affordability in healthcare. CMS also aims to put 
patients first in the delivery of their health care needs.
    The Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) is the most 
comprehensive and complete survey available on the Medicare population 
and is essential in capturing data not otherwise collected through our 
operations. The MCBS is a nationally-representative, longitudinal 
survey of Medicare beneficiaries that we sponsor and is directed by the 
Office of Enterprise Data and Analytics (OEDA). MCBS data collection 
includes both in-person and phone interviewing. The survey captures 
beneficiary information whether aged or disabled, living in the 
community or facility, or serviced by managed care or fee-for-service. 
Data produced as part of the MCBS are enhanced with our administrative 
data (e.g., fee-for-service claims, prescription drug event data, 
enrollment, etc.) to provide users with more accurate and complete 
estimates of total health care costs and utilization. The MCBS has been 
continuously fielded for more than 30 years, encompassing over 1.2 
million interviews and more than 140,000 survey participants. 
Respondents participate in up to 11 interviews over a four-year period. 
This gives a comprehensive picture of health care costs and utilization 
over a period of time.
    The MCBS continues to provide unique insight into the Medicare 
program and helps CMS and our external stakeholders better understand 
and evaluate the impact of existing programs and significant new policy 
initiatives. In the past, MCBS data have been used to assess potential 
changes to the Medicare program. For example, the MCBS was instrumental 
in supporting the development and implementation of the Medicare 
prescription drug benefit by providing a means to evaluate prescription 
drug costs and out-of-pocket burden for these drugs to Medicare 
beneficiaries. Beginning in 2023, this proposed revision to the 
clearance will add a few new measures to existing questionnaire 
sections and will remove COVID-19-related content that is no longer 
relevant for administration. New respondent materials are also included 
in this request. The revisions will result in a net decrease in 
respondent burden as compared to the current clearance due to the 
removal of COVID-19 items. Form Number: CMS-P-0015A (OMB: 0938-0568); 
Frequency: Occasionally; Affected Public: Business or other for-profits 
and Not-for-profit institutions; Number of Respondents: 13,656; Total 
Annual Responses: 35,998; Total Annual Hours: 46,680. (For policy 
questions regarding this collection contact William Long at 410-786-
7927.)
    2. Type of Information Collection Request: Revision of a currently 
approved collection; Title of Information Collection: Application and 
Triennial Re-application to Be a Qualified Entity to Receive Medicare 
Data for Performance Measurement; Use: The Patient Protection and 
Affordable Care Act (ACA) was enacted on March 23, 2010 (Pub. L. 111-
148). ACA amends section 1874 of the Social Security Act by adding a 
new subsection (e) to make standardized extracts of Medicare claims 
data under Parts A, B, and D available to qualified entities to 
evaluate the performance of providers of services and suppliers. This 
is the application needed to determine an organization's eligibility as 
a qualified entity. The information from the collection is used by CMS 
to determine whether an organization meets the criteria required to be 
considered a qualified entity to receive Medicare claims data under ACA 
Section 10332. CMS evaluates the organization's eligibility in terms of 
organizational and governance capabilities, addition of claims data 
from other sources, and data privacy and security. This collection 
covers the application through which organizations provide information 
to CMS to determine whether they will be approved as a qualified 
entity. This collection also covers the triennial re-application (CMS-
10596; 0938-1317) through which organizations provide information to 
CMS to determine whether they are approved to continue as a qualified 
entity. Form Number: CMS-10394 (OMB control number: 0938-1144); 
Frequency: Occasionally; Affected Public: Not-for-profits institutions 
and Business or other for-profits; Number of Respondents: 30; Total 
Annual Responses: 30; Total Annual Hours: 3,800. (For policy questions 
regarding this collection contact Kari A. Gaare at 410-786-8612.)

    Dated: March 30, 2022.
William N. Parham, III,
Director, Paperwork Reduction Staff, Office of Strategic Operations and 
Regulatory Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2022-07055 Filed 4-1-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-01-P