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 September 14, 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: __, 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-10768—The ESRD Network Peer Mentoring Program

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: New collection (Request for a new OMB control number); Title of Information Collection: The ESRD Network Peer Mentoring Program; Use: The End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Network Peer Mentoring Program is a voluntary program designed to provide patient peer support to people with kidney disease. In part, the peer support is beneficial because patients can give each other something most practitioners do not have: Lived experience with kidney disease. The support and perspective of someone who has “been there” can help people better cope with their circumstances.

The ESRD Network Peer Mentoring Program is a partnership between dialysis facilities, ESRD Networks, and patient peer mentors and mentees that wish to engage in the program. The peer mentoring program is organized and published with educational opportunities for peer mentors and mentees, provides resources, and includes a complementary toolkit for ESRD Networks and dialysis facilities to promote and operationalize the program.

Program applicants are people with ESRD who: (1) Are adults over the age of 18; have been receiving in-center or home dialysis or have been transplanted for at least six months; actively engage in the care plan; consistently demonstrate leadership qualities at facility Quality Assurance & Performance Improvement (QAPI) meetings, Lobby Days, and other facility activities; and wish to be a peer mentor; or (2) are over 18 years of age; are newly diagnosed patients but have been on in-center dialysis for at least six months; are looking for peer support to help them transition to their new reality; and are known as a peer mentee.

To participate in the ESRD Network Peer Mentoring Program, peer mentors and mentees will complete an online application form stored in Confluence. The application serves to validate the peer mentor or peer mentee interest in the ESRD Network Peer Mentoring Program. Information collection is important to the process of pairing peer mentors and mentees with similarly lived experience and interests with their kidney disease. In addition, the application collects information about the peers' interest in kidney disease, treatment modality, age range, preferred gender recognition, and attitudes toward their kidney disease diagnosis. It also supports aligning hobbies, and genders to support best matched peers with each other. Form Number: CMS-10768 (OMB control number: 0938-NEW); Frequency: Once; Affected Public: Individuals and Households; Number of Respondents: 75; Total Annual Responses: 75; Total Annual Hours: 19. (For policy questions regarding this collection, contact Lisa Rees at 816-426-6353.)