Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 127 /Thursday, July 2, 1998 / Notices 36249

committee deliberations on both days, a

30-minute open public hearing will be

conducted for interested persons to

address issues specific to the

submission before the committee. Time

allotted for each presentation may be

limited. Those desiring to make formal

oral presentations should notify the

contact person before July 10, 1998, and

submit a brief statement of the general

nature of the evidence or arguments

they wish to present, the names and

addresses of proposed participants, and

an indication of the approximate time

requested to make their presentation.

Notice of this meeting is given under

the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5

U.S.C. app. 2).

Dated: June 26, 1998.

Michael A. Friedman,

Deputy Commissioner for Operations.

[FR Doc. 98–17596 Filed 7–1–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4160–01–F

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND

HUMAN SERVICES

Health Care Financing Administration

[Document Identifier: HCFA–379]

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.

Type of Information Collection

Request: Extension of a currently

approved collection; Title of

Information Collection: The Financial

Statement of Debtor and Supporting

Regulation 42 CFR 405.376; Form No.:

HCFA–379, OMB #0938–0270; Use: This

form is used to collect financial

information which is needed to evaluate

requests from physician/suppliers to

pay indebtness under extended

repayment schedule, or to compromise

a debt for less than the full amount.

Frequency: As needed; Affected Public:

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

Respondents: 500; Total Annual

Responses: 500; Total Annual Hours:

1,000.

To obtain copies of the supporting

statement for the proposed paperwork

collections referenced above, E-mail

your request, including your address

and phone number, to

Paperwork@hcfa.gov, or 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 OMB Desk 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: June 18, 1998.

John P. Burke III,

HCFA Reports Clearance Officer, HCFA,

Office of Information Services, Information

Technology Investment Management Group,

Division of HCFA Enterprise Standards.

[FR Doc. 98–17557 Filed 7–1–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4120–03P

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND

HUMAN SERVICES

Health Care Financing Administration

[Document Identifier: HCFA–R–246]

Emergency Clearance: Public

Information Collection Requirements

Submitted to the Office of Management

and Budget (OMB)

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.

We are, however, requesting an

emergency review of the information

collection referenced below. In

compliance with the requirement of

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

Reduction Act of 1995, we have

submitted to the Office of Management

and Budget (OMB) the following

requirements for emergency review. We

are requesting an emergency review

because the collection of this

information is needed before the

expiration of the normal time limits

under OMB’s regulations at 5 CFR, Part

1320. This collection is necessary to

ensure compliance with section 1876 of

the Social Security Act. Section 1876(I)

of the Social Security Act (the Act) sets

forth several criteria for HMO contracts.

As relevant here, section 1876(I)(3) of

the Act gives the Secretary, or her

designee the authority to incorporate

additional contractual terms and

conditions that are consistent with

section 1876. These statutorily

mandated contract provisions have been

implemented in the regulations at 42

CFR 417.470, et seq which reference 42

CFR 417.126(a) which states that each

HMO must have an effective procedure

to develop, compile, evaluate, and

report to HCFA, to its enrollees, and to

the general public, at the times and in

the manner that HCFA requires, the

following: the cost of its operations; the

patterns of utilization of its services; the

availability, accessibility and

acceptability of its services; to the extent

practical, developments in the health

status of its enrollees; information

demonstrating that the HMO has a

fiscally sound operation and other

matters that HCFA may require. Without

emergency approval HCFA will be

unable to monitor the quality of care

received by beneficiaries in managed

care measured through the Consumer

Assessment of Health Plans Study

(CAHPS) survey asking beneficiaries

about their experiences with their plan.

As a result, public harm is likely to

result because HCFA will be unable to

monitor the quality of care received by

beneficiaries.

HCFA is requesting OMB review and

approval of this collection within 6

working days of publication of this

notice in the Federal Register, with a

180-day approval period. Written

comments and recommendations will be

accepted from the public if received by

the individuals designated below by 5

working days of the publication of this

notice. During this 180-day period, we