HHS Seeks Public Comment on Info Collection: Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey

WASHINGTON, Jan. 22 -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services proposed a 60-day public comment period starting on Jan. 21, 2022, on an extension of information collection entitled "Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey."

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:

Contents

This notice sets out a summary of the use and burden associated with the following information collections. More detailed information can be found in each collection's supporting statement and associated materials (see ADDRESSES ).

CMS-P-0015AMedicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS)

CMS-10394Application and Triennial Re-application to Be a Qualified Entity to Receive Medicare Data for Performance Measurement

Under the 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 requires federal agencies to publish a 60-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.

Information Collection

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 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: 46,575. (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: January 18, 2022.

William N. Parham, III,

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

[FR Doc. 2022-01183 Filed 1-20-22; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4120-01-P

* * *

Complete text: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/01/21/2022-01183/agency-information-collection-activities-proposed-collection-comment-request

TARGETED NEWS SERVICE (founded 2004) features non-partisan 'edited journalism' news briefs and information for news organizations, public policy groups and individuals; as well as 'gathered' public policy information, including news releases, reports, speeches. For more information contact MYRON STRUCK, editor, [email protected], Springfield, Virginia; 703/304-1897; https://targetednews.com