2019-25003. Submission for Review: CAHPS Enrollee Survey 3206-NEW

AGENCY:

Office of Personnel Management.

ACTION:

30-Day notice and request for comments.

SUMMARY:

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) offers the general public and other federal agencies the opportunity to comment on a proposed information collection (ICR) 3206-NEW, Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS®). As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, as amended by the Clinger-Cohen Act, OPM is soliciting comments for this collection. The information collection was previously published in the Federal Register on July 22, 2019 at Volume 84 FR 35137 allowing for a 60-day public comment period. We received one comment from an association of FEHB health plan carriers that did not relate to the CAHPS survey. Therefore, no changes have been made to our estimates or to the proposed information collection. The purpose of this notice is to allow an additional 30 days for public comments.

DATES:

Comments are encouraged and will be accepted until December 19, 2019. This process is conducted in accordance with 5 CFR 1320.1.

ADDRESSES:

Interested persons are invited to submit written comments on the proposed information collection to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management Budget, 725 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20503, Attention: Desk Officer for the Office of Personnel Management or sent via electronic mail to [e-mail] or faxed to [phone].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

A copy of this information collection, with applicable supporting documentation, may be obtained by contacting the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management Budget, 725 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20503, Attention: Desk Officer for the Office of Personnel Management or sent via electronic mail to [e-mail] or faxed to [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The Office of Management and Budget is particularly interested in comments that:

1. Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information will have practical utility;

2. Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used;

3. Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and

4. Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submissions of responses.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) offers the general public and other federal agencies the opportunity to comment on the administration of the CAHPS® survey for the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program. The CAHPS® surveys asks consumers and patients to report on and evaluate their experiences with health care. These surveys cover topics that are important to consumers and focus on aspects of quality that consumers are best qualified to assess, such as the communication skills of providers and ease of access to health care services. OPM uses the CAHPS® results as part of the FEHB Plan Performance Assessment (PPA). The PPA enables a consistent, objective evaluation of carrier performance and also provides more transparency for enrollees. This assessment uses a discrete set of quantifiable measures to examine key aspects of performance in the areas of clinical quality, customer service and resource use. Eight CAHPS® measures are part of this discrete set of quantifiable measures.

Taken together with more traditional assessments of contract administration, these measures help ensure that enrollees receive high quality affordable healthcare and a positive customer experience. The PPA is linked to carrier profit and adjustment factors. FEHB contracts include language to incorporate the PPA as a determinant of the Service Charge or Performance Adjustment.

Analysis

Agency: Healthcare and Insurance, Office of Personnel Management.

Authority: 5 U.S.C. 8910.

Title: CAHPS Survey.

OMB Number: 3206-NEW.

Frequency: Annually.

Affected Public: Federal Employees and Retirees.

Number of Respondents: 73,505.

Estimated Time per Respondent: 15 minutes.

Total Burden Hours: 18,376 hours.

Office of Personnel Management.

Alexys Stanley,

Regulatory Affairs Analyst.