2023-23741. Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

AGENCY:

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Health and Human Services (HHS).

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is announcing an opportunity for the public to comment on CMS' intention to collect information from the public. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), federal agencies are required to publish notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information, including each proposed extension or reinstatement of an existing collection of information, and to allow a second opportunity for public comment on the notice. Interested persons are invited to send comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including the necessity and utility of the proposed information collection for the proper performance of the agency's functions, the accuracy of the estimated burden, ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected, and the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology to minimize the information collection burden.

DATES:

Comments on the collection(s) of information must be received by the OMB desk officer by November 27, 2023.

ADDRESSES:

Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice to www.reginfo.gov/​public/​do/​PRAMain. Find this particular information collection by selecting “Currently under 30-day Review—Open for Public Comments” or by using the search function.

To obtain copies of a supporting statement and any related forms for the proposed collection(s) summarized in this notice, please access the CMS PRA website by copying and pasting the following web address into your web browser: https://www.cms.gov/​Regulations-and-Guidance/​Legislation/​PaperworkReductionActof1995/​PRA-Listing.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

William Parham at (410) 786–4669.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3501–3520), federal agencies must obtain approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for each collection of information they conduct or sponsor. The term “collection of information” is defined in 44 U.S.C. 3502(3) and 5 CFR 1320.3(c) and includes agency requests or requirements that members of the public submit reports, keep records, or provide information to a third party. Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)) requires federal agencies to publish a 30-day notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information, including each proposed extension or reinstatement of an existing collection of information, before submitting the collection to OMB for approval. To comply with this requirement, CMS is publishing this notice that summarizes the following proposed collection(s) of information for public comment:

1. Type of Information Collection Request: Revision of a previously approved collection; Title of Information Collection: Beneficiary and Family Centered Data Collection; Use: To ensure the QIOs are effectively meeting their goals, CMS collects information about beneficiary experience receiving support from the QIOs. This is a request to revise the information collection. The revisions to this information collection include the deletion of the previously approved Direct Feedback Survey and associated instructions and the General Feedback Web Survey and associated instructions. The information collection uses both qualitative and quantitative strategies to ensure CMS and the QIOs understand beneficiary experiences through all interactions with the QIO including initial contact, interim interactions, and case closure. Information collection instruments are tailored to reflect the steps in each type of process, as well as the average time it takes to complete each process. The information collection will:

• Allow beneficiaries to directly provide feedback about the services they receive under the QIO program;
• Provide quality improvement data for QIOs to improve the quality of service delivered to Medicare beneficiaries; and
• Provide evaluation metrics for CMS to use in assessing performance of QIO contractors.

To achieve the above goals, information collection will include: Experience Survey: The Experience Survey will be administered via telephone and mail to beneficiaries/representatives after the Quality of Care (Medical Record Review) complaint/Immediate Advocacy/appeal case has been closed. The goal of the Experience Survey is to assess beneficiary overall and specific experiences with the BFCC QIOs. Form Number: CMS–10393 (OMB control number: 0938–1177); Frequency: Once; Affected Public: Individuals or households; Number of Respondents: 9,000; Number of Responses: 9,000; Total Annual Hours: 2,250. (For policy questions regarding this collection, contact Renee Graves-Dorsey at 410–786–7142.)

2. Type of Information Collection Request: New collection (Request for a new OMB control number); Title of Information Collection: Medicare Health Outcomes Survey Field Test; Use: CMS is required to collect and report quality and performance of Medicare health plans under provisions of the Social Security Act. Specifically, Section 1851(d) of the Act (Providing Information to Promote Informed Choice) requires CMS to collect data for MA plan comparison, including data on enrollee satisfaction and health outcomes, and report this information and other plan quality and performance indicators to Medicare beneficiaries prior to the annual enrollment period. The HOS meets the requirement for collecting and publicly reporting quality and other performance indicators, as HOS survey measures are incorporated into the Medicare Part C Star Ratings that are published each fall for consumers on the Medicare website.

This request is to conduct a field test with the goal of evaluating the measurement properties of new survey items, and the effects of new content and a web-based mode on response patterns and measure scores as compared to existing HOS survey items and protocols. Within each of the proposed field test protocol arms, there will be two versions of the questionnaire (see Attachments A and B) that will be identical except for slight differences in selected items where empirical data are needed to ascertain which of the two versions produces the best results (see Attachment C). The two versions of the questionnaire will test alternatives for selected new survey content that will potentially enhance and refine existing measures, allow CMS to develop new and methodologically simpler cross-sectional and longitudinal measures, expand on CMS's measurement of physical functioning and mental health, and add to CMS's efforts to measure and address health equity.

The data collected in this field test will be used by CMS to inform decisions on possible changes to HOS content and survey administration procedures. The items in the questionnaire reflect current health priorities and would provide CMS with data to study new longitudinal PROMs, cross-sectional measures, and enhancements to existing HOS measures for MA plans to use as a focus of their quality improvement efforts. Potential new measures derived from new HOS items will go through the Measures Under Consideration (MUC) process and rule-making before they are added to Star Ratings. Form Number: CMS–10861 (OMB Control Number: 0938–New); Frequency: Once; Affected Public: Individuals and Households; Number of Respondents: 136; Number of Responses: 6,800; Total Annual Hours: 2,267. (For policy questions regarding this collection contact Kimberly DeMichele at 410–786–4286.)

3. Type of Information Collection Request: Extension of a currently approved collection; Title of Information Collection: Notice of Denial of Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage; Use: Part D plan sponsors are required to issue the Notice of Denial of Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage notice when a request for a prescription drug or payment is denied, in whole or in part. The written notice must include a statement, in understandable language, the reasons for the denial and a description of the appeals process.

The purpose of this notice is to provide information to enrollees when prescription drug coverage has been denied, in whole or in part, by their Part D plans. The notice must be readable, understandable, and state the specific reasons for the denial. The notice must also remind enrollees about their rights and protections related to requests for prescription drug coverage and include an explanation of both the standard and expedited redetermination processes and the rest of the appeal process. Form Number: CMS–10146 (OMB control number 0938–0976); Frequency: Daily; Affected Public: Private sector (Business or other for-profits); Number of Respondents: 743; Total Annual Responses: 2,631,728; Total Annual Hours: 657,932. (For policy questions regarding this collection contact: Coretta Edmondson at 410–786–0512.)

Dated: October 24, 2023.

William N. Parham, III,

Director, Paperwork Reduction Staff, Office of Strategic Operations and Regulatory Affairs.