2014-01552. Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection: Public Comment Request

AGENCY:

Health Resources and Services Administration, HHS.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

In compliance with the requirement for opportunity for public comment on proposed data collection projects (Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995), the Health Resources and Services Administration (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 Information Collection Request must be received within 60 days of this notice.

ADDRESSES:

Submit your comments to [e-mail] or mail the HRSA Information Collection Clearance Officer, Room 10-29, Parklawn Building, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 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 the HRSA Information Collection Clearance Officer at [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

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

Information Collection Request Title: Reconciliation Tool for the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education Program.

OMB No.: 0915-0342—Extension.

Abstract: The Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education (THCGME) program, Section 340H of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act, was established by Section 5508 of Public Law 111-148. The program supports training for primary care residents (including residents in family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, internal medicine pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, psychiatry, general dentistry, pediatric dentistry, and geriatrics) in community-based ambulatory patient care settings.

The statute provides that eligible Teaching Health Centers receive payments for both direct and indirect expenses associated with training residents in community-based ambulatory patient care centers. Direct medical expenses payments are designed to compensate eligible teaching health centers for those expenses directly associated with resident training, while indirect medical expenses payments are intended to compensate for the additional expenses of training residents in such programs.

Need and Proposed Use of the Information: THCGME 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 will gather information relating to the numbers of residents in THCGME training programs in order to reconcile payments for both direct and indirect expenses.

Likely Respondents: The likely responders to the THCGME Reconciliation Tool are existing THCGME awardees.

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 Information Collection Request 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	44	1	44	2	88
Total	44	1	44	2	88

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.

Dated: January 22, 2014.

Jackie Painter,

Deputy Director, Division of Policy and Information Coordination.