Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 178 / Friday, September 15, 2017 / Notices 43377 

request for OMB approval of the 

proposed information collection. All 

comments will become a matter of 

public record. 

Sharon B. Arnold, 

Deputy Director. 

[FR Doc. 2017–19621 Filed 9–14–17; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4160–90–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Agency for Healthcare Research and 

Quality 

Agency Information Collection 

Activities: Proposed Collection; 

Comment Request 

AGENCY: Agency for Healthcare Research 

and Quality, HHS. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: This notice announces the 

intention of the Agency for Healthcare 

Research and Quality (AHRQ) to request 

that the Office of Management and 

Budget (OMB) approve the proposed 

information collection project: 

‘‘Voluntary Customer Survey Generic 

Clearance for the Agency for Healthcare 

Research and Quality.’’ 

This proposed information collection 

was previously published in the Federal 

Register on May 30, 2017 and allowed 

60 days for public comment. No 

comments were received. The purpose 

of this notice is to allow an additional 

30 days for public comment. 

DATES: Comments on this notice must be 

received by October 16, 2017. 

ADDRESSES: Written comments should 

be submitted to: Doris Lefkowitz, 

Reports Clearance Officer, AHRQ, by 

email at doris.lefkowitz@AHRQ.hhs.gov. 

Copies of the proposed collection 

plans, data collection instruments, and 

specific details on the estimated burden 

can be obtained from the AHRQ Reports 

Clearance Officer. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Doris Lefkowitz, AHRQ Reports 

Clearance Officer, (301) 427–1477, or by 

email at doris.lefkowitz@AHRQ.hhs.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Proposed Project 

Voluntary Customer Survey Generic 

Clearance for the Agency for Healthcare 

Research and Quality 

In accordance with the Paperwork 

Reduction Act, 44 U.S.C. 3501–3520, 

AHRQ invites the public to comment on 

this proposed information collection. 

This is a request for the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) to reapprove for an additional 3 years, under 

the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 

the generic clearance for the Agency for 

Healthcare Research and Quality 

(AHRQ) to survey the users of AHRQ’s 

work products and services, OMB 

control number 0935–0106. 

AHRQ will undertake customer 

surveys to assess its work products and 

services provided to its customers, to 

identify problem areas, and to 

determine how they can be improved. 

Surveys conducted under this generic 

clearance are not required by regulation 

and will not be used by AHRQ to 

regulate or sanction its customers. 

Surveys will be entirely voluntary, and 

information provided by respondents 

will be combined and summarized so 

that no individually identifiable 

information will be released. Proposed 

information collections submitted under 

this generic clearance will be reviewed 

and acted upon by OMB within 14 days 

of submission. 

Method of Collection 

The information collected through 

focus groups and voluntary customer 

surveys will be used by AHRQ to 

identify strengths and weaknesses in 

products and services to make 

improvements that are practical and 

feasible. Information from these 

customer surveys will be used to plan 

and redirect resources and efforts to 

improve or maintain a high quality of 

service to the lay and health 

professional public. 

Estimated Annual Respondent Burden 

Exhibit 1 shows the estimated total 

burden hours for the respondents. Mail 

surveys are estimated to average 15 

minutes, telephone surveys 40 minutes, 

web-based surveys 10 minutes, focus 

groups two hours, and in-person 

interviews are estimated to average 50 

minutes. Mail surveys may also be sent 

to respondents via email, and may 

include a telephone non-response 

follow-up. Telephone non-response 

follow-up for mailed surveys does not 

count as a telephone survey. The total 

burden hours for the 3 years of the 

clearance is estimated to be 10,150 

hours. 

Exhibit 2 shows the estimated cost 

burden for the respondents. The total 

cost burden for the 3 years of the 

clearance is estimated to be $340,127. 

EXHIBIT 1—ESTIMATED BURDEN HOURS OVER 3 YEARS

Type of information collection Number of 

respondents 

Number of 

responses per 

respondent 

Hours per 

response 

Total burden 

hours 

Mail/email * ....................................................................................................... 15,000 1 15/60 3,750 

Telephone ........................................................................................................ 600 1 40/60 400 

Web-based ....................................................................................................... 15,000 1 10/60 2,500 

Focus Groups .................................................................................................. 1,500 1 2.0 3,000

In-person .......................................................................................................... 600 1 50/60 500 

Total .......................................................................................................... 32,700 na na 10,150 

* May include telephone non-response follow-up in which case the burden will not change. 

EXHIBIT 2—ESTIMATED COST BURDEN OVER 3 YEARS

Type of information collection Number of 

respondents 

Total burden 

hours 

Average 

hourly 

wage rate * 

Total cost 

burden 

Mail/email ......................................................................................................... 15,000 3,750 $33.51 $125,663 

Telephone ........................................................................................................ 600 400 33.51 13,404 

Web-based ....................................................................................................... 15,000 2,500 33.51 83,775 

Focus Groups .................................................................................................. 1,500 3,000 33.51 100,530 

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43378 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 178 / Friday, September 15, 2017 / Notices 

EXHIBIT 2—ESTIMATED COST BURDEN OVER 3 YEARS—Continued 

Type of information collection Number of 

respondents 

Total burden 

hours 

Average 

hourly 

wage rate * 

Total cost 

burden 

In-person .......................................................................................................... 600 500 33.51 16,755 

Total .......................................................................................................... 32,700 10,150 na 340,127 

* Based upon the average wages for 29–000 (Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Occupations), ‘‘National Compensation Survey: Occupational Wages in the United States, May 2009,’’ U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

Request for Comments 

In accordance with the Paperwork 

Reduction Act, comments on AHRQ’s 

information collection are requested 

with regard to any of the following: (a) 

Whether the proposed collection of 

information is necessary for the proper 

performance of AHRQ healthcare 

research and healthcare information 

dissemination functions, including 

whether the information will have 

practical utility; (b) the accuracy of 

AHRQ’s estimate of burden (including 

hours and costs) of the proposed 

collection(s) of information; (c) ways to 

enhance the quality, utility, and clarity 

of the information to be collected; and 

(d) ways to minimize the burden of the 

collection of information upon the 

respondents, including the use of 

automated collection techniques or 

other forms of information technology. 

Comments submitted in response to 

this notice will be summarized and 

included in the Agency’s subsequent 

request for OMB approval of the 

proposed information collection. All 

comments will become a matter of 

public record. 

Sharon B. Arnold, 

Deputy Director. 

[FR Doc. 2017–19620 Filed 9–14–17; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4160–90–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 

Services 

[Document Identifiers: CMS–R–138 and 

CMS–10332] 

Agency Information Collection 

Activities: Submission for OMB 

Review; Comment Request 

AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & 

Medicaid Services, HHS. 

ACTION: Notice. 

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 October 16, 2017. 

ADDRESSES: When commenting on the 

proposed information collections, 

please reference the document identifier 

or OMB control number. To be assured 

consideration, comments and 

recommendations must be received by 

the OMB desk officer via one of the 

following transmissions: OMB, Office of 

Information and Regulatory Affairs, 

Attention: CMS Desk Officer, Fax 

Number: (202) 395–5806 or, Email: 

OIRA_submission@omb.eop.gov. 

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’ Web site address at 

https://www.cms.gov/Regulations-andGuidance/Legislation/Paperwork

ReductionActof1995/PRA-Listing.html. 

2. Email your request, including your 

address, phone number, OMB number, 

and CMS document identifier, to 

Paperwork@cms.hhs.gov. 

3. Call the Reports Clearance Office at 

(410) 786–1326. 

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: Extension of a currently 

approved collection; Title of 

Information Collection: Medicare 

Geographic Classification Review Board 

Procedures and Criteria; Use: During the 

first few years of IPPS, hospitals were 

paid strictly based on their physical 

geographic location concerning the 

wage index (Metropolitan Statistical 

Areas (MSAs)) and the standardized 

amount (rural, other urban, or large 

urban). However, a growing number of 

hospitals became concerned that their 

payment rates were not providing 

accurate compensation. The hospitals 

argued that they were not competing 

with the hospitals in their own 

geographic area, but instead that they 

were competing with hospitals in 

neighboring geographic areas. At that 

point, Congress enacted Section 

1886(d)(10) of the Act which enabled 

hospitals to apply to be considered part 

of neighboring geographic areas for 

payment purposes based on certain 

criteria. The application and decision 

process is administered by the MGCRB 

which is not a part of CMS so that CMS 

could not be accused of any untoward 

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