[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 161 (Friday, August 20, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45580-45581]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-21652]
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SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION
Agency Information Collection Activities: Request for Emergency
Review by the Office of Management and Budget
The Social Security Administration publishes a list of information
collection packages that will require clearance by OMB in compliance
with Public Law 104-13 effective October 1, 1995, The Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995. The information collection listed below has been
submitted to OMB for emergency consideration. OMB approval has been
requested by August 31, 1999.
0960-0601. Public Law 105-277 authorizes SSA to conduct a Medicare
buy-in demonstration project to evaluate means to promote the Medicare
buy-in programs targeted to elderly and disabled individuals under
titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act. A lack of awareness
about the Medicare buy-in programs appears to be one of the major
obstacles to enrollments. Other obstacles to enrollment include the
confusion of potential eligibles as to how to apply for these programs
and a preference for dealing with SSA field offices rather than with
local Medicaid offices.
SSA began screening respondents voluntarily on March 1, 1999 for
potential Medicare Part B buy-in eligibility using a screening guide
developed for this purpose. The screening guide will collect
information from SSA beneficiaries regarding income, resources, marital
status, and living arrangements and also ask questions about their
awareness of Medicare Part B buy-in programs. SSA will gather this
information to identify and overcome obstacles to Medicare Part B buy-
in enrollments and to determine potential eligibility for Medicare Part
B benefits.
[[Page 45581]]
In addition, SSA will interview a small, random sample of
individuals who did not respond to the buy-in outreach publicity in
order to understand the impediments to the buy-in enrollment process.
These interviews will attempt to ascertain if beneficiaries chose not
to participate in the program and, if so, why.
Also, peer assistance screening will be conducted in States that
volunteer to participate in this variant screening model. Using a
variant screening model will allow SSA to test a buy-in outreach model
in which non-governmental peers of the target group provide assistance.
In this model, AARP will provide volunteers to, gather data from
beneficiaries to determine potential eligibility for buy-in programs
and assist them through the screening and application processes. AARP
will share results of its efforts with SSA for use in SSA's report on
the demonstration program. This effort will provide a comparison to
other SSA and Health Care Finance Administration (HCFA) buy-in outreach
efforts and provide information for a cost comparison.
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AARP's peer
SSA assistance
SSA screener nonresponders' screening &
survey summary form
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Number of Respondents........................................... 24,000 500 20,000
Number of Responses............................................. 1 1 1
Frequency of Response........................................... 1 1 1
Average Burden Per Response (minutes)........................... 20 20 20
Estimated Annual Burden (hours)................................. 8,000 167 6,667
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To receive a copy of the screening guides or the clearance
packages, call the SSA Reports Clearance Officer on 410) 965-4145 or
write to him at the address listed below. Written comments and
recommendations regarding the information collection(s) should be
directed to the OMB Desk Officer and SSA Reports Clearance Officer at
the following addresses:
Attn: Lori Schack, New Executive Office Building, Room 10230, 725 17th
St., NW, Washington, DC 20503.
(SSA) Social Security Administration, DCFAM, Attn: Frederick W.
Brickenkamp, 6401 Security Blvd., 1-A-21 Operations Bldg., Baltimore,
MD 21235.
Dated: August 16, 1999.
Frederick W. Brickenkamp,
Reports Clearance Officer, Social Security Administration.
[FR Doc. 99-21652 Filed 8-19-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4190-29-P
