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

[Document Identifier: HCFA-R-254]

Emergency Clearance: Public Information Collection Requirements

Submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

AGENCY: Health Care Financing Administration.

[[Page 45829]]

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. Due to an unanticipated event and

the fact that this collection of this information is needed before the

expiration of the normal time limits under OMB's regulations at 5 CFR,

Part 1320, we are requesting an emergency review.

With the creation of the Medicare+Choice program, as required by

the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (Pub. L. 105-33), Medicare

beneficiaries' health care options were expanded to include coordinated

care plans such as Health Maintenance Organizations, Preferred Provider

Organizations, Provider-sponsored Organizations, as well as Private

Fee-for-Service Plans and Medical Savings Accounts. While the new

options bring more flexibility for health care decisions for people

with Medicare, they also necessitate the need for a carefully planned,

extensive education campaign to assure that Medicare beneficiaries have

understanding of the new health plan choices offered by Medicare and

how to use HCFA-developed information tools that will be available

through an annual publication, a toll-free number and the World Wide

Web.

The purpose of this submission is to request approval of a baseline

and follow-up survey of beneficiaries in six communities where we are

conducting case studies to examine how all of our activities related to

the education campaign are working. The baseline survey will be

conducted in September and the follow-up survey will be done this

winter after all of the material related to the education campaign for

this year has been mailed to beneficiaries. Examples of the types of

questions that will be asked of beneficiaries include their

satisfaction with the availability and usefulness of Medicare

information when they need it, where they obtain information for

particular Medicare-related decisions, their use of the Handbook and

other information sources, their awareness of some of the major

messages HCFA is trying to convey in the campaign and the demographics

of the respondents.

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 will publish a separate

Federal Register notice announcing the initiation of an extensive 60-

day agency review and public comment period on these requirements. We

will submit the requirements for OMB review and an extension of this

emergency approval.

Type of Information Request: New Collection.

Title of Information Collection: National Medicare Education

Program Community Survey of Medicare Beneficiaries.

Form Number: HCFA-R-254 (OMB approval #: 0938-NEW).

Use: The primary purpose of the baseline and follow-up survey is to

collect information on beneficiary satisfaction with the availability

and usefulness of Medicare information when they need it, where

beneficiaries obtain information for particular Medicare-related

decisions, beneficiary use of the Handbook and other information

sources, and their awareness of the major messages HCFA is trying to

convey in the campaign. This information will be used in conjunction

with other information collected in these six communities through focus

groups and interviews to identify problems and make recommendations for

ways of improving HCFA's education campaign in future years.

Frequency: On occasion.

Affected Public: Individuals or Households.

Number of Respondents: 4,800.

Total Annual Responses: 4,800.

Total Annual Hours Requested: 1,200 hours.

To obtain copies of the supporting statement for the proposed

paperwork collections referenced above, access HCFA's WEB SITE ADDRESS

at http://www.hcfa.gov/regs/prdact95.htm, or E-mail your request,

including your address and phone number, to P[email protected], or call

the Reports Clearance Office on (410) 786-1326.

Interested persons are invited to send comments regarding the

burden or any other aspect of these collections of information

requirements. However, as noted above, comments on these information

collection and record keeping requirements must be mailed and/or faxed

to the designees referenced below within 5 working days of the

publication of this notice in the Federal Register:

Health Care Financing Administration, Office of Information Services,

Security and Standards Group, Division of HCFA Enterprise Standards,

Room N2-14-26, 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21244-1850. Fax

Number: (410) 786-0262 Attn: John Rudolph HCFA-R-254 and,

Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and

Budget, Room 10235, New Executive Office Building, Washington, DC

20503, Fax Number: (202) 395-6974 or (202) 395-5167 Attn: Allison

Herron Eydt, HCFA Desk Officer.

Dated: August 20, 1998.

John Parmigiani,

Acting HCFA Reports Clearance Officer, HCFA, Office of Information

Services, Security and Standards Group, Division of HCFA Enterprise

Standards.

[FR Doc. 98-22860 Filed 8-26-98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4120-03-P