Emergency Clearance: Public Information Collection Requirements Submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Care Financing Administration

[Form #HCFA-R-200]

Emergency Clearance: Public Information Collection Requirements

Submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

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 (DHHS),

has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) the

following request for Emergency review. We are requesting an emergency

review because the collection of this information is needed prior to

the expiration of the normal time limits under OMB's regulations at

[[Page 41064]]

5 CFR Part 1320. The collection of HEDIS 3.0 performance measures,

including the Health of Seniors and Consumer Assessment of Health Plans

Study surveys is necessary for HCFA to obtain the information necessary

for the proper oversight and administration of the Medicare Managed

Care Program. The Agency cannot reasonably comply with the normal

clearance procedures because public harm is likely to result due to the

delay in reporting of health care quality measures. If emergency

clearance is not provided HCFA will be forced to postpone the

collection of this data due to the timing of contracts and their

respective cycles.

HCFA is requesting OMB review and approval of this collection by

08/15/97, with a 180-day approval period. During this 180-day period

HCFA will publish a separate Federal Register notice announcing the

initiation of an extensive 60-day agency review and public comment

period on these requirements. Then HCFA will submit the requirements

for OMB review and an extension of this emergency approval.

Type of Information Request: Revision of a currently approved

collection; Title of Information Collection: HEDIS 3.0 (Health Plan

Data and Information Set), including the Health of Seniors and Consumer

Assessment of Health Plans Study (CAHPS) surveys and supporting

regulations 42 CFR 417.470, and 42 CFR 417.126; Form Number: HCFA-R-200

(OMB #0938-0701); Use: HEDIS and CAHPS will be used for 3 purposes: (1)

to provide summary comparative data to the Medicare beneficiary to

assist them in choosing among health plans; (2) to provide information

to health plans for internal quality improvement activity; and (3) to

provide HCFA, as purchaser, information useful for monitoring quality

of and access to care provided by the plans; Frequency: Annually;

Affected Public: Individuals or Households, non-profit and for profit

HMOs which contract with HCFA to provide managed health care to

Medicare beneficiaries; Number of Respondents: 293,834; Total Annual

Responses: 293,834, Total Annual Hours Requested: 181,520. To request

copies of the proposed paperwork collections referenced above, call the

Reports Clearance Office on (410) 786-1324. Written comments and

recommendations for the proposed information collections should be sent

by 08/11/97 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, DC

20503.

Dated: July 23, 1997.

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. 97-20089 Filed 7-30-97; 8:45 am]

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