Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request

AGENCY:

Health Care Financing Administration, HHS.

In compliance with the requirement of section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA), Department of Health and Human Services, is publishing the following summary of proposed collections for public comment. Interested persons are invited to send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including any of the following subjects: (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.

Type of Information Collection Request: Extension of a currently approved collection;

Title of Information Collection: Indirect Medical Education (IME) and Supporting Regulations in 42 CFR 412.105;

Form No.: HCFA-R-64 (OMB# 0938-0456);

Use: This collection of information on interns and residents (IR) is needed to properly calculate Medicare program payments to hospitals that incur indirect costs for medical education. The agency's Intern and Resident Information System uses the information for producing automated reports of duplicate full-time equivalent IRs for IME. The reports provide contractors with information to ensure that hospitals are properly reimbursed for IME, and help eliminate duplicate reporting of IR counts which inflate payments. The collection of this information affects 1,350 hospitals which participate in approved medical education programs;

Frequency: Annually;

Affected Public: Not-for-profit institutions, and business or other for-profit;

Number of Respondents: 1,350;

Total Annual Responses: 1,350;

Total Annual Hours: 2,700.

To obtain copies of the supporting statement and any related forms for the proposed paperwork collections referenced above, access HCFA's Web Site address at http://www.hcfa.gov/regs/prdact95.htm,, or E-mail your request, including your address, phone number, OMB number, and HCFA document identifier, to Paperwork@hcfa.gov, or call the Reports Clearance Office on (410) 786-1326. Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information collections must be mailed within 60 days of this notice directly to the HCFA Paperwork Clearance Officer designated at the following address: HCFA, Office of Information Services, Security and Standards Group, Division of HCFA Enterprise Standards, Attention: Dawn Willinghan, Room N2-14-26, 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, Maryland 21244-1850.