2021-04056. Emergency Clearance: Public Information Collection Requirements Submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

AGENCY:

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

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) requests an information collection request to support the implementation of the CAHPS for MIPS survey to add an item on telehealth to address the Public Health Emergency (PHE) be processed under the emergency clearance process associated with Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA). In order to address our stakeholders and the increased use of telehealth services due to the PHE for COVID-19, a question is being added to the CAHPS for MIPS survey. The question is being added to integrate one telehealth item to assess the patient-reported usage of telehealth services (for example, phone or video visit). The additional question collects self-reported information from CAHPS for MIPS Survey respondents on the modalities of care (in-person, telephone or video visit) received during the last 6 months. This survey item would be utilized for informational purposes only and would not be used for quality scoring or payment purposes. We are requesting Emergency Approval in order to make this telehealth item part of the survey starting in CY 2021, which is in alignment with what our stakeholders have requested. In order to do this, there are tasks that need to be completed by late spring such as vendor training, preparing letters and Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) scripts.

DATES:

Comments must be received by April 9, 2021.

ADDRESSES:

When commenting, please reference the document identifier or OMB control number. To be assured consideration, comments and recommendations must be submitted within 42 days in any one of the following ways:

1. Electronically. You may send your comments electronically to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for “Comment or Submission” or “More Search Options” to find the information collection document(s) that are accepting comments.

2. Electronically. Comments and recommendations for the proposed information collection can also be sent within 42 days of publication of this notice to www.reginfo.gov/​public/​do/​PRAMain. Find this particular information collection by selecting the search function.

To obtain copies of a supporting statement and any related forms for the proposed collection(s) summarized in this notice, you may make your request using one of following:

1. Access CMS' website address at https://www.cms.gov/​Regulations-and-Guidance/​Legislation/​PaperworkReductionActof1995/​PRA-Listing.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

William Parham at [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Under the PRA, Federal agencies are required to publish notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed ICR. Interested persons are invited to send comments regarding our burden estimates or any other aspect of this ICR including the necessity and utility of the proposed ICR 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.

Contents

This notice sets out a summary of the use and burden associated with the following ICR. More detailed information can be found in the collection's supporting statement and associated materials (see ADDRESSES).

CMS-10450 Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) Survey for the Merit-Based Incentive Payment Systems (MIPS)

Under the 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. To comply with this requirement, CMS is publishing this notice that summarizes the following proposed collection(s) of information for public comment:

Information Collection

1. Type of Information Collection Request: Revision of a currently approved Information Collection; Title of Information Collection: Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) Survey for Merit-based Incentive Payment Systems (MIPS); Use: CMS is submitting updates to one information collection request associated with the CAHPS for MIPS survey. The CAHPS for MIPS survey is used in the Quality Payment Program (QPP) to collect data on fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries' experiences of care with eligible clinicians participating in MIPS and is designed to gather only the necessary data that CMS needs for assessing physician quality performance, and related public reporting on physician performance, and should complement other data collection efforts. The survey consists of the core Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) CAHPS Clinician & Group Survey, version 3.0, plus additional survey questions to meet CMS's information and program needs. The survey information is used for quality reporting, the Care Compare website, and annual statistical experience reports describing MIPS data for all MIPS eligible clinicians.

This 2021 information collection request addresses changes to the CAHPS for MIPS Survey associated with the CY 2021 Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) final rule. In order to address the increased use of telehealth care due to the Public Health Emergency (PHE) for COVID-19, an additional question is added to the CAHPS for MIPS survey to integrate one telehealth item to assess the patient-reported usage of telehealth services. In addition, the cover page of the CAHPS for MIPS Survey is revised to include a reference to care in telehealth settings. The CAHPS for MIPS survey results in burden to three different types of entities: Groups and virtual groups, vendors, and beneficiaries associated with administering the survey. Virtual groups are subject to the same requirements as groups; therefore, we will refer only to groups as an inclusive term for both unless otherwise noted. The estimated time to administer the 2021 CAHPS for MIPS survey has increased from 12.9 minutes to 13.1 minutes; however, there was an overall decrease in burden as the number of respondents decreased. Form Number: CMS-10450 (OMB control number: 0938-1222); Frequency: Yearly; Affected Public: Business or other for-profits and Not-for-profit institutions and Individuals and Households; Number of Respondents: 30,249; Total Annual Responses: 30,249; Total Annual Hours: 6,902. (For policy questions regarding this collection contact Alesia Hovatter at 410-786-6861.)

Dated: February 23, 2021.

William N. Parham, III,

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