2020-00986. Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection: Public Comment Request Information Collection Request Title: The Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education (THCGME) Program Reconciliation Tool, OMB No. 0915-0342-...

AGENCY:

Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Department of Health and Human Services.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

In compliance with the requirement for opportunity for public comment on proposed data collection projects of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, HRSA announces plans to submit an Information Collection Request (ICR), described below, to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Prior to submitting the ICR to OMB, HRSA seeks comments from the public regarding the burden estimate, below, or any other aspect of the ICR.

DATES:

Comments on this ICR should be received no later than March 23, 2020.

ADDRESSES:

Submit your comments to [e-mail] or mail the HRSA Information Collection Clearance Officer, Room 14N136B, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, Maryland 20857.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

To request more information on the proposed project or to obtain a copy of the data collection plans and draft instruments, email [e-mail] or call Lisa Wright-Solomon, the HRSA Information Collection Clearance Officer at [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

When submitting comments or requesting information, please include the ICR title for reference.

Information Collection Request Title: The Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education (THCGME) Program Reconciliation Tool OMB No. 0915-0342—Extension.

Abstract: The THCGME program, authorized by Section 340H of the Public Health Service Act, was established by Section 5508 of Public Law (Pub. L.) 111-148. The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (Pub. L. 115-123) provided continued funding for the THCGME Program for fiscal years 2018 and 2019 and the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 (Pub. L. 116-94) extends funding for the THCGME program until May 22, 2020.

The THCGME program awards payment for both direct and indirect expenses to support training for primary care residents in community-based ambulatory patient care settings. Direct medical expense payments are designed to compensate eligible THC for those expenses directly associated with resident training, while indirect medical expense payments are intended to compensate for the additional costs of training residents in such programs.

Need and Proposed Use of the Information: THCGME program payments are prospective payments, and the statute provides for a reconciliation process, through which overpayments may be recouped and underpayments may be adjusted at the end of the fiscal year. This data collection instrument gathers information relating to the number of resident full-time equivalents in THC training programs in order to reconcile payments for both direct and indirect expenses.

Likely Respondents: THCGME program award recipients.

Burden Statement: Burden in this context means the time expended by persons to generate, maintain, retain, disclose, or provide the information requested. This includes the time needed to review instructions; to develop, acquire, install, and utilize technology and systems for the purpose of collecting, validating, and verifying information, processing and maintaining information, and disclosing and providing information; to train personnel and to be able to respond to a collection of information; to search data sources; to complete and review the collection of information; and to transmit or otherwise disclose the information. The total annual burden hours estimated for this ICR are summarized in the table below.

Total Estimated Annualized Burden Hours

Form name	Number of respondents	Number of responses per respondent	Total responses	Average burden per response (in hours)	Total burden hours
THCGME Reconciliation Tool	58	1	58	2	116
Total	58		58		116

HRSA specifically requests comments on (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.

Maria G. Button,

Director, Executive Secretariat.