2015-13088. 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 no later than July 31, 2015.

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: Rural Outreach Benefits Counseling Program Measures OMB No. 0915-XXXX—New.

Abstract: The Rural Outreach Benefits Counseling Program (Benefits Counseling Program) is authorized by section 330A(e) of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act (42 U.S.C. 254c(e)), as amended, to “promote rural health care services outreach by expanding the delivery of health care services to include new and enhanced services in rural areas.” The purpose of the 3-year Benefits Counseling Program is to expand outreach, education, and enrollment efforts to eligible uninsured and newly insured individuals and families in rural communities.

The overarching goals of this grant funding are to coordinate and conduct innovative outreach activities through a strong consortium in order to: (1) Identify and enroll uninsured individuals and families who are eligible for public health insurance, such as Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children's Health Insurance Program, and qualified health plans offered through Health Insurance Marketplaces and/or private health insurance plans in rural communities and (2) educate the newly insured individuals and families in rural communities about their health insurance benefits, help connect them to primary care and preventive services to which they now have access, and help them retain their health insurance coverage.

Need and Proposed Use of the Information: For this program, performance measures were drafted to provide data to the program and to enable HRSA to provide aggregate program data required by Congress under the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) of 1993. These measures cover the principal topic areas of interest to the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP), including: (a) Access to care; (b) population demographics; (c) staffing; (d) consortium/network; (e) sustainability; and (f) benefits counseling process and outcomes. Several measures will be used for the Benefits Counseling Program. All measures will speak to FORHP's progress toward meeting the goals set.

Likely Respondents: The respondents will be recipients of the Rural Outreach Benefits Counseling Program grant funding.

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
Rural Outreach Benefits Counseling Grant Program Measures	10	1	10	1.5	15
Total	10	1	10	1.5	15

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.

Jackie Painter,

Director, Division of the Executive Secretariat.