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 June 1, 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-10102—National Implementation of Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS)

CMS-1984-14—Hospice Facility Cost Report Form

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 collection; Title of Information Collection: National Implementation of Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS); Use: The HCAHPS (Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems) Survey is the first national, standardized, publicly reported survey of patients' perspectives of their hospital care. HCAHPS is a 29-item survey instrument and data collection methodology for measuring patients' perceptions of their hospital experience. Since 2008, HCAHPS has allowed valid comparisons to be made across hospitals locally, regionally and nationally.

The national implementation of HCAHPS is designed to allow third-party CMS-approved survey vendors to administer HCAHPS using mail-only, telephone-only, mixed-mode (mail with telephone follow-up), or active IVR (interactive voice response). With respect to a telephone-only or mixed-mode survey, the CMS-approved survey vendors use electronic data collection or CATI systems. CATI is also used for telephone follow-up with mail survey non-respondents. With respect to IVR survey administration, the IVR technology gathers information from respondents by prompting respondents to answer questions by pushing the numbers on a touch-tone telephone. Patients selected for IVR mode are able to opt out of the interactive voice response system and return to a “live” interviewer if they wish to do so. Form Number: CMS-10102 (OMB control number: 0938-0981); Frequency: Occasionally; Affected Public: Individuals and Households; Number of Respondents: 2,843,617; Total Annual Responses: 2,843,617; Total Annual Hours: 347,648. (For policy questions regarding this collection contact William Lehrman at 410-786-1037.)

2. Type of Information Collection Request: Extension of a currently approved collection; Title of Information Collection: Hospice Facility Cost Report Form; Use: Under the authority of §§ 1815(a) and 1833(e) of the Social Security Act (the Act), CMS requires that providers of services participating in the Medicare program submit information to determine costs for health care services rendered to Medicare beneficiaries. CMS requires that providers follow reasonable cost principles under 1861(v)(1)(A) of the Act when completing the Medicare cost report (MCR). The regulations at 42 CFR 413.20 and 413.24 require that providers submit acceptable cost reports on an annual basis and maintain sufficient financial records and statistical data, capable of verification by qualified auditors. In addition, regulations require that providers furnish such Information to the contractor as may be necessary to assure proper payment by the program, receive program payments, and satisfy program overpayment determinations.

CMS regulations at 42 CFR 413.24(f)(4) require that each hospice submit an annual cost report to their contractor in a standard American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) electronic cost report (ECR) format. A hospice submits the ECR file to contractors using a compact disk (CD), flash drive, or the CMS approved Medicare Cost Report E-filing (MCREF) portal, [URL: https://mcref.cms.gov ]. The instructions for submission are included in the hospice cost report instructions on page 43-3.

CMS requires the Form CMS-1984-14 to determine a hospice's reasonable costs incurred in furnishing medical services to Medicare beneficiaries. CMS uses the Form CMS-1984-14 for rate setting; payment refinement activities, including developing a market basket; Medicare Trust Fund projections; and program operations support. Additionally, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) uses the hospice cost report data to calculate Medicare margins (a measure of the relationship between Medicare's payments and providers' Medicare costs) and analyze data to formulate Medicare Program recommendations to Congress. Form Number: CMS-1984-14 (OMB control number: 0938-0758); Frequency: Yearly; Affected Public: Private Sector, Business or other for-profits, Not for profits institutions; Number of Respondents: 4,379; Total Annual Responses: 4,379; Total Annual Hours: 823,252. (For policy questions regarding this collection contact Duncan Gail at 410-786-7278.)