Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Care Financing Administration

[Document Identifier: HCFA-R-5]

Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection;

Comment Request

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 the

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.

Type of Information Collection Request: Extension of a currently

approved collection; Title of Information Collection: Physician

Certification / Recertification in Skilled Nursing Facilities and

Supporting Regulations 42 CFR 424.20; Form No.: HCFA-R-5; Use: The

Medicare program requires as a condition of participation for Medicare

Part A payment for posthospital skilled nursing facility (SNF)

services, that a physician must certify and periodically recertify that

a beneficiary requires an SNF level of care. The physician

certification requirement is intended to ensure that the beneficiary's

need for services has been established and then reviewed and updated at

appropriate intervals. Frequency: On occasion; Affected Public:

Individuals or Households, Business or other for-profit, Not -for-

profit institutions, State, Local or Tribal Government; Number of

Respondents: 1,493,493; Total Annual Responses: 3; Total Annual Hours:

365,914.

To obtain copies of the supporting statement for the proposed

paperwork

[[Page 14720]]

collections referenced above, or any related forms, E-mail your

request, including your address and phone number, to

P[email protected], or call the Reports Clearance Office on (410) 786-

1326. Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information

collections must be mailed within 60 days of this notice directly to

the HCFA Paperwork Clearance Officer designated at the following

address: HCFA, Office of Information Services, nformation Technology

Investment Management Group, Division of HCFA Enterprise Standards,

Attention: John Rudolph, Room C2-26-17, 7500 Security Boulevard,

Baltimore, Maryland 21244-1850.

Dated: March 17, 1998.

John P. Burke III,

HCFA Reports Clearance Officer, Division of HCFA Enterprise Standards,

Health Care Financing Administration.

[FR Doc. 98-7855 Filed 3-25-98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4120-03-P