Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Seeks Public Comment on Info Collection: Expressions of Interest in the Infant Well-Child Visit Affinity Group

WASHINGTON, Aug. 1 -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services proposed a 30-day public comment period starting on July 30, 2021, on an information collection entitled: "Expressions of Interest in the Infant Well-Child Visit Affinity Group."

A notice was published in the Federal Register by William N. Parham, III, Director, Paperwork Reduction Staff, Office of Strategic Operations and Regulatory Affairs..

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Following is a summary of the use and burden associated with the subject information collection(s). More detailed information can be found in the collection's supporting statement and associated materials (see ADDRESSES).

Generic Information Collection

1. Type of Information Collection Request: New collection: Title of Information Collection: Expressions of Interest in the Infant Well-Child Visit Affinity Group; Use: To improve the use and quality of well-child visits for Medicaid and CHIP beneficiaries ages 0 to 12 months, CMS has launched the Infant Well-Child Visit Learning Collaborative Affinity Group. The affinity group will provide technical assistance to state Medicaid and CHIP agencies and their partners through group workshops and one-on-one meetings. Quality improvement (QI) advisors and subject matter experts will provide state teams with individualized guidance, including QI tools, to identify, implement, and test change ideas to improve infant well-child visits and then scale those changes that prove successful.

Many infants do not receive the recommended number of infant well-child visits. Reasons for missing visits include lack of transportation, work responsibilities, lack of childcare, and other social stressors. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the number of missed well-child visits, with 21 percent fewer (4.6 million) child screening services provided between March through October 2020, compared to the same period in 2019. Because Medicaid and CHIP cover nearly 40 percent of all children, focusing on well-child visits is an opportunity for state Medicaid and CHIP programs to improve overall attendance and quality of infant well-child visits and to reduce disparities in well-infant care. When children receive the recommended number of high-quality visits, they are more likely to be up-to-date on immunizations, have developmental concerns recognized early, and are less likely to visit the emergency department. Form Number: CMS-10398 (#72) (OMB control number: 0938-1148); Frequency: Once; Affected Public: State, Local, or Tribal Governments; Number of Respondents: 56; Total Annual Responses: 20; Total Annual Hours: 140. (For policy questions regarding this collection contact Kristen Zycherman at 410-786-6974.)

Dated: July 26, 2021.

William N. Parham, III

Director, Paperwork Reduction Staff, Office of Strategic Operations and Regulatory Affairs.

Footnotes

1. https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/whitehouse.gov/files/omb/assets/inforeg/PRA_Gen_ICRs_5-28-2010.pdf.

[FR Doc. 2021-16208 Filed 7-29-21; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4120-01-P

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Complete text: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/07/30/2021-16208/medicaid-and-childrens-health-insurance-program-chip-generic-information-collection-activities

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