Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 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 (the 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 60 days for public comment on the proposed action. Interested persons are invited to send comments regarding our burden estimates 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 must be received by July 2, 2021.

ADDRESSES:

When commenting, please reference the document identifier or OMB control number. To be assured consideration, comments and recommendations must be submitted 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. By regular mail. You may mail written comments to the following address: CMS, Office of Strategic Operations and Regulatory Affairs, Division of Regulations Development, Attention: Document Identifier/OMB Control Number: CMS-P-0015A, Room C4-26-05, 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, Maryland 21244-1850.

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 website address at https://www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance/Legislation/PaperworkReductionActof1995/PRA-Listing.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

William N. Parham at (410) 786-4669.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Contents

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

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

CMS-10249 Administrative Requirements for Section 6071 of the Deficit Reduction Act

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. Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA requires federal agencies to publish a 60-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.

Information Collection

1. Type of Information Collection Request: Extension 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.)

2. Type of Information Collection Request: Revision of a currently approved collection; Title of Information Collection: Administrative Requirements for Section 6071 of the Deficit Reduction Act; Use: State Operational Protocols should provide enough information such that: The CMS Project Officer and other federal officials may use it to understand the operation of the demonstration, prepare for potential site visits without needing additional information, or both; the State Project Director can use it as the manual for program implementation; and external stakeholders may use it to understand the operation of the demonstration. The financial information collection is used in our financial statements and shared with the auditors who validate CMS' financial position. The Money Follows the Person Rebalancing Demonstration (MFP) Finders File, MFP Program Participation Data file, and MFP Services File are used by the national evaluation contractor to assess program outcomes while we use the information to monitor program implementation. The MFP Quality of Life data is used by the national evaluation contractor to assess program outcomes. The evaluation is used to determine how participants' quality of life changes after transitioning to the community. The semi-annual progress report is used by the national evaluation contractor and CMS to monitor program implementation at the grantee level. The revisions aim to reduce the reporting burden by presenting a substantially revised and shorted version of the semi-annual progress report. The budget workbook has also been revised to combine two earlier reporting forms. Form Number: CMS-10249 (OMB control number: 0938-1053); Frequency: Yearly, quarterly, and semi-annually; Affected Public: State, Local, or Tribal Governments; Number of Respondents: 42; Total Annual Responses: 336; Total Annual Hours: 2,604. (For policy questions regarding this collection contact Todd Wilson at 410-786-3409.)