[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 115 (Tuesday, June 16, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32888-32889]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-15970]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Care Financing Administration
[Document Identifier: HCFA-250, and HCFA-R-153]


Agency information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request

AGENCY: Health Care Financing Administration, HHS.

    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, 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 of a 
currently approved collection; Title of Information Collection: 
Medicare Secondary Payer and Supporting Regulations in 42 CFR 489.20; 
Form No.: HCFA-250 (OMB# 0938-0214); Use: Medicare Secondary Payer 
(MSP) is essentially the same concept known in the private insurance 
industry as coordination of benefits, and refers to those situations 
where Medicare does not have primary responsibility for paying the 
medical expenses of a Medicare beneficiary. HCFA contracts with health 
insuring organizations, herein referred to as intermediaries and

[[Page 32889]]

carriers, to process Medicare claims. HCFA charges its Medicare 
intermediaries and carriers with various tasks to detect MSP cases; 
develops and disseminates tools to enable them to better perform their 
tasks; and monitors their performance in achievement of their assigned 
MSP functions. Because intermediaries and carriers are also marketing 
health insurance products that may have liability when Medicare is 
secondary, the MSP provisions create the potential for conflict of 
interest. Recognizing this inherent conflict, HCFA has taken steps to 
ensure that its intermediaries and carriers process claims in 
accordance with the MSP provisions, regardless of what other insurer is 
primary. These information collection requirements describe the MSP 
requirements.; Frequency: Other--Monthly for New Beneficiaries Only; 
Affected Public: Individual or Households; Number of Respondents: 
14,204,000; Total Annual Responses: 14,204,000; Total Annual Hours: 
773,240.
    (2) Type of Information Collection Request: Extension of a 
currently approved collection; Title of Information Collection: Drug 
Utilization Review and Supporting Regulations in 42 CFR 456.700; Form 
No.: HCFA-R-153, HCFA-R-153a (OMB# 0938-0659); Use: These information 
collection requirements are necessary to establish patient profiles in 
pharmacies, identify problems in prescribing and/or dispensing, 
determine each program's ability to meet minimum standards required for 
Federal financial participation, and ensure quality pharmaceutical care 
for Medicaid patients. State Medicaid agencies that have prescription 
drug programs are required to perform prospective and retrospective 
drug use review in order to identify aberrations in prescribing, 
dispensing and/or patient behavior.; Frequency: Annually; Affected 
Public: State, Local or Tribal Government, Business or other for-
profit, and Not for profit institutions; Number of Respondents: 50; 
Total Annual Responses: 50; Total Annual Hours: 588,667.
    To obtain copies of the supporting statement and any related forms 
for the proposed paperwork collections referenced above, access HCFA's 
Web Site address at http://www.hcfa.gov/regs/prdact95.htm, or E-mail 
your request, including your address, phone number, OMB number, and 
HCFA document identifier, to P<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#5435243126233b263f143c3732357a333b22"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="3d5c4d584f4a524f567d555e5b5c135a524b">[email protected]</span></a>, or call the Reports 
Clearance Office on (410) 786-1326. Written comments and 
recommendations for the proposed information collections must be mailed 
within 60 days of this notice directly to the HCFA Paperwork Clearance 
Officer designated at the following address: HCFA, Office of 
Information Services, Security and Standards Group, Division of HCFA 
Enterprise Standards, Attention: Louis Blank, Room C2-26-17, 7500 
Security Boulevard, Baltimore, Maryland 21244-1850.

    Dated: June 9, 1998.
John P. Burke III,
HCFA Reports Clearance Officer, HCFA Office of Information Services, 
Security and Standards Group, Division of HCFA Enterprise Standards.
[FR Doc. 98-15970 Filed 6-15-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-03-P


</pre><script data-cfasync="false" src="/cdn-cgi/scripts/5c5dd728/cloudflare-static/email-decode.min.js"></script></body>
</html>