Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request, 6109-6111 [2013-01770]
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Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 19 / Tuesday, January 29, 2013 / Notices
on page 4855, first column, six lines
from the top of the page, correct the title
‘‘Acting Executive Director’’ to read:
‘‘Executive Director’’.
Dated: January 24, 2013.
James B. Petrick,
Secretary, Federal Retirement Thrift
Investment Board.
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services
[Document Identifier: CMS–10438, CMS–
10439 and CMS–10440]
Agency Information Collection
Activities: Submission for OMB
Review; Comment Request
[FR Doc. 2013–01965 Filed 1–25–13; 11:15 am]
BILLING CODE 6760–01–P
Centers for Medicare &
Medicaid Services, HHS.
In compliance with the requirement
of section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services (CMS), 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 function;
(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.
1. Type of Information Collection
Request: New collection (Request for a
new OMB control number); Title of
Information Collection: Data Collection
to Support Eligibility Determinations
and Enrollment for Employees in the
Small Business Health Options Program;
Use: Section 1311(b)(1)(B) of the
Affordable Care Act requires that the
Small Business health Option Program
(SHOP) assist qualified small employers
in facilitating the enrollment of their
employees in qualified health programs
(QHPs) offered in the small group
market. Section 1311(c)(1)(F) of the
Affordable Care Act requires HHS to
establish criteria for certification of
health plans as QHPs and that these
criteria must require plans to utilize a
uniform enrollment form that qualified
employers may use. Further, section
1311(c)(5)(B) requires HHS to develop a
model application and Web site that
assists employers in determining if they
are eligible to participate in SHOP.
Consistent with these authorities, HHS
has developed a single, streamlined
form that employees will use apply to
the SHOP. Section 155.730 of the
Exchanges Final Rule (77 FR 18310)
provides more detail about this ‘‘single
AGENCY:
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
Meeting Notice for the President’s
Advisory Council on Faith-Based and
Neighborhood Partnerships
In accordance with section 10(a)(2) of
the Federal Advisory Committee Act
(Pub. L. 92–463), the President’s
Advisory Council on Faith-based and
Neighborhood Partnerships announces
the following three conference calls:
srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with
Name: President’s Advisory Council on
Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships
Council Conference Calls
Time and Date: Wednesday, February 13th,
4:00 p.m.–5:30 p.m. (e.s.t.); Wednesday,
February 27th, 4:00 p.m.–5:30 p.m. (e.s.t.);
Wednesday, March 13th, 4:00 p.m.–5:30 p.m.
(e.s.t.)
Place: All meetings announced herein will
be held by conference call The call-in line is:
1–866–823–5144, Passcode: 1375705. Space
is limited so please RSVP to
partnerships@hhs.gov to participate.
Status: Open to the public, limited only by
lines available.
Purpose: The Council brings together
leaders and experts in fields related to the
work of faith-based and neighborhood
organizations in order to: Identify best
practices and successful modes of delivering
social services; evaluate the need for
improvements in the implementation and
coordination of public policies relating to
faith-based and other neighborhood
organizations; and make recommendations
for changes in policies, programs, and
practices.
Contact Person for Additional Information:
Please contact Ben O’Dell for any additional
information about the President’s Advisory
Council meeting at partnerships@hhs.gov.
Agenda: Please visit https://
www.whitehouse.gov/partnerships for further
updates on the Agenda for the meeting.
Public Comment: There will be an
opportunity for public comment at the
conclusion of the meeting. Comments and
questions can be asked over the conference
call line, or sent in advance to
partnerships@hhs.gov.
Dated: January 23, 2013.
Ben O’Dell,
Associate Director for Center for Faith-based
and Neighborhood Partnerships at U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services.
[FR Doc. 2013–01844 Filed 1–28–13; 8:45 am]
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6109
employee application,’’ which will be
used to determine eligibility.
The information will be required of
each employee upon initial application
with subsequent information collections
for the purposes of confirming accuracy
of previous submissions or updating
information from previous submissions.
Information collection will begin during
initial open enrollment in October 2013,
per § 155.410 of the Exchanges Final
Rule. Applications for the SHOP will be
collected year round, per the rolling
enrollment requirements of § 155.725 of
the Exchanges Final Rule.
Employees will be able to submit an
application for the SHOP online, using
a paper application, over the phone
through a call center operated by an
Exchange, or in person through an
agent, broker, or Navigator, per
§ 155.730(f) of the Exchanges Final Rule.
If an employee does not enroll in
coverage through the SHOP, the
information will be erased after a
specified period of time. If an employee
enrolls in coverage through the SHOP,
the information will be retained to
document the enrollment, to allow
reconciliation with issuer records, and
to provide information for future
coverage renewals or changes in
coverage.
Every qualified employee of an
employer participating in the SHOP
who wishes to apply for coverage
through the SHOP will need to complete
an application to determine his or her
eligibility. The applicant will also be
asked to verify his or her understanding
of the application and sign attestations
regarding information in the
application. The completed application
will be submitted to the SHOP in the
employer’s state.
Applicants who choose to complete
the electronic application will need to
create an online account at the
beginning of the application process.
We estimate that it will take
approximately 0.159 hours (9.53
minutes) per applicant to submit a
completed paper application. The
Congressional Budget Office (CBO)
estimates approximately 3 million
people will enroll in health insurance
through a SHOP in 2014. Assuming
family size of approximately 3 per
employee, we expect approximately 1
million employees to complete an
application in 2014 for a total of
approximately 93,300 burden hours.
CBO estimates approximately 2
million people will enroll in health
insurance through a SHOP in 2015 and
3 million in 2016. Consequently, we
estimate that approximately 666,666
employees will apply to a SHOP in 2015
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29JAN1
srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with
6110
Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 19 / Tuesday, January 29, 2013 / Notices
and approximately 1 million will apply
in 2016.
The 60-day Federal Register notice
published on July 6, 2012 (77 FR
40061). We received public comments
from over 20 entities addressing topics
such as the purpose and use of the
information collection and burden
estimates. Some of the commenters were
concerned with duplicate or overly
burdensome data collection as related to
the employee application. CMS is
working with states to minimize any
required document submission to
streamline and reduce duplication,
especially in future years. We have
taken into consideration all of the
proposed suggestions and have made
changes to this collection of
information, such as adding a privacy
statement, information on the
availability of other coverage, prepopulation of certain applicant
information, and whether the employee
is waiving SHOP coverage.
Form Number: CMS–10438 (OCN:
0938–NEW); Frequency: Once; Affected
Public: Individuals or Households;
Number of Respondents: 1,000,000;
Total Annual Responses: 1,000,000;
Total Annual Hours: 93,300 hours. (For
policy questions regarding this
collection contact Leigha Basini at 301–
492–4307. For all other issues call 410–
786–1326.)
2. Type of Information Collection
Request: New collection (Request for a
new OMB control number); Title of
Information Collection: Data Collection
to Support Eligibility Determinations
and Enrollment for Small Businesses in
the Small Business Health Options
Program; Use: Section 1311(b)(1)(B) of
the Affordable Care Act requires that the
SHOP assist qualified small employers
in facilitating the enrollment of their
employees in QHPs offered in the small
group market. Section 1311(c)(1)(F) of
the Affordable Care Act requires HHS to
establish criteria for certification of
health plans as QHPs and that these
criteria must require plans to utilize a
uniform enrollment form that qualified
employers may use. Further, section
1311(c)(5)(B) requires HHS to develop a
model application and web site that
assists employers in determining if they
are eligible to participate in SHOP.
Consistent with these authorities, HHS
has developed a single, streamlined
form that employers will use apply to
the SHOP. Section 155.730 of the
Exchanges Final Rule provides more
detail about this ‘‘single employer
application,’’ which will be used to
determine employer eligibility.
The information will be required of
each employer upon initial application
with subsequent information collections
VerDate Mar<15>2010
16:47 Jan 28, 2013
Jkt 229001
for the purposes of confirming accuracy
of previous submissions or updating
information from previous submissions.
Information collection will begin during
initial open enrollment in October 2013,
per § 155.410 of the Exchanges Final
Rule. Applications for the SHOP will be
collected year round, per the rolling
enrollment requirements of § 155.725 of
the Exchanges Final Rule
Employers will be able to submit an
application for the SHOP online, using
a paper application, over the phone
through a call center operated by an
Exchange, or in person through an
agent, broker, or Navigator, per
§ 155.730(f) of the Exchanges Final Rule.
If an employer does not complete the
application, the information will be
erased after a specified period of time.
If an employer completes the
application and offers coverage to
qualified employees through the SHOP,
the information will be retained to
document the offer of coverage, to allow
reconciliation with issuer records, and
to provide information for future
coverage renewals or changes in
coverage.
Every employer wishing to apply for
coverage through the SHOP will need to
complete an application to determine its
eligibility to participate in the SHOP.
The applicant will also be asked to
verify his or her understanding of the
application and sign attestations
regarding information in the
application. The completed application
will be submitted to the SHOP in the
employer’s state. Applicants who
choose to complete the electronic
application will need to create an online
account at the beginning of the
application process.
We estimate that it will take
approximately 0.209 hours (12.57
minutes) per applicant to submit a
completed paper application. We had
several individuals fill out the paper
application, averaged their times to
complete the application, and factored
in additional time due to potential
variation in applicants’ health literacy
rate. The Congressional Budget Office
(CBO) estimates approximately 3
million people will enroll in health
insurance through a SHOP in 2014.
Assuming a small business size of
approximately 5 employees and a family
size of approximately 3 per employee 1,
we estimate that approximately 200,000
employers will apply to a SHOP in
1 Based on US Census data of business size in
2008, the vast majority of employer firms (restricted
to employer firms with 1–99 employees) have 1–4
employees. Based on ASPE analysis of 2011 Current
Population Survey data, the average family size
(restricted to individuals under the age of 65) with
income above 400% Federal Poverty Level is 3.16
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2014. Consequently, we expect
approximately 200,000 employers to
complete an application in 2014 for a
total of approximately 24,520 burden
hours.
CBO estimates approximately 2
million people will enroll in health
insurance through a SHOP in 2015 and
3 million in 2016. Consequently, we
estimate that approximately 133,333
employers will apply to a SHOP in 2015
and approximately 200,000 will apply
in 2016.
The 60-day Federal Register notice
published on July 6, 2012 (77 FR
40061). We received public comments
from over 20 entities addressing topics
such as the purpose and use of the
information collection and burden
estimates. Some of the commenters were
concerned with duplicate or overly
burdensome data collection as related to
the employer application. CMS is
working with States to minimize any
required document submission to
streamline and reduce duplication,
especially in future years. We have
taken into consideration all of the
proposed suggestions and have made
changes to this collection of
information, such as adding a privacy
statement, ‘‘doing business as’’
information, employer type, and making
electronic notices the default option.
Some information related to the
employer choice of plan offerings and
contribution is removed because it is
not necessary for an eligibility
determination. Form Number: CMS–
10439 (OCN: 0938–NEW); Frequency:
Annually; Affected Public: Private
Sector: Business or Other For-Profit,
Non-For-Profit Institutions, or Farms;
Number of Respondents: 200,000; Total
Annual Responses: 200,000; Total
Annual Hours: 24,520 hours. (For policy
questions regarding this collection
contact Leigha Basini at 301–492–4307.
For all other issues call 410–786–1326.)
3. Type of Information Collection
Request: New collection (Request for a
new OMB control number); Title of
information collection: Data Collection
to Support Eligibility Determinations for
Insurance Affordability Programs and
Enrollment through Affordable
Insurance Exchanges, Medicaid and
Children’s Health Insurance Program
Agencies; Use: Section 1413 of the
Affordable Care Act directs the
Secretary of Health and Human Services
to develop and provide to each State a
single, streamlined form that may be
used to apply for coverage through the
Exchange and Insurance Affordability
Programs, including Medicaid, the
Children’s Health Insurance Program
(CHIP), and the Basic Health Program,
as applicable. The application must be
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29JAN1
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Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 19 / Tuesday, January 29, 2013 / Notices
structured to maximize an applicant’s
ability to complete the form
satisfactorily, taking into account the
characteristics of individuals who
qualify for the programs. A State may
develop and use its own single
streamlined application if approved by
the Secretary in accordance with section
1413 and if it meets the standards
established by the Secretary.
Section 155.405(a) of the Exchange
Final Rule (77 FR 18310) provides more
detail about the application that must be
used by the Exchange to determine
eligibility and to collect information
necessary for enrollment. The
regulations in § 435.907 and § 457.330
establish the requirements for State
Medicaid and CHIP agencies related to
the use of the single streamlined
application. CMS is designing the single
streamlined application to be a dynamic
online application that will tailor the
amount of data required from an
applicant based on the applicant’s
circumstances and responses to
particular questions. The paper version
of the application will not be able to be
tailored in the same way but is being
designed to collect only the data
required to determine eligibility.
Individuals will be able to submit an
application online, through the mail,
over the phone through a call center, or
in person, per § 155.405(c)(2) of the
Exchange Final Rule, as well as through
other commonly available electronic
means as noted in § 435.907(a) and
§ 457.330 of the Medicaid Final Rule.
The application may be submitted to an
Exchange, Medicaid or CHIP agency.
The online application process will
vary depending on each applicant’s
circumstances, their experience with
health insurance applications and
online capabilities. The goal is to solicit
sufficient information so that in most
cases no further inquiry will be needed.
We estimate that on average it will take
approximately .50 hours (30 minutes) to
complete for people applying for
Insurance Affordability Programs. It will
take an estimated .25 hours (15 minutes)
to complete without consideration for
Insurance Affordability Programs. We
expect approximately 7,840,477
applications to be submitted for
Insurance Affordability Programs
between 2014 and 2016. The total
burden is estimated to be 5,548,859
cumulative burden hours. We estimate
1,265,823 applications to be submitted
online without consideration for
Insurance Affordability Programs
between 2014 and 2016, resulting in
284,281 cumulative burden hours. The
paper application process will take
approximately .75 hours (45 minutes) to
complete for those applying for
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16:47 Jan 28, 2013
Jkt 229001
Insurance Affordability Programs and
.33 hours (20 minutes) for those
applying without consideration for
Insurance Affordability Programs. We
expect approximately 784,048
applications to be submitted for
Insurance Affordability Programs on
paper in 2014 through 2016 for a
cumulative total of 588,035 burden
hours. We estimate 126,583 applications
will be submitted without consideration
for Insurance Affordability Programs
from 2014 through 2016. Total burden
hours are expected to be 41,772 burden
between 2014 and 2016.
CMS received approximately 65
public comments in response to the 60
day notice. These comments addressed
a range of topics, including the
application process, paper and/or online
accessibility, processes for verifying
information, privacy and security of
information, and the types of questions
or data elements that should be
included. CMS made significant
changes to the application materials,
namely moving from categories of data
elements to completed draft
applications. Because of the significant
changes throughout, it is not feasible to
list each individual change.
CMS also adjusted the burden
estimates due to changes in coverage
estimates due to Congressional Budget
Office revisions from July 2012. The
expected number of applications
between 2014–216 has increased to
7,840,477 from 7,700,260; the estimated
burden hours have increased from
5,548,859 to 1,812,230. Form Number:
CMS–10440 (OCN: 0938–NEW);
Frequency: Once per year; Affected
Public: Individuals and Households;
Number of Respondents: 3,035,434;
Total Annual Responses: 3,035,434;
Total Annual Hours: 1,085,944 hours.
(For policy questions regarding this
collection contact Hannah Moore at
301–492–4232. For all other issues call
410–786–1326.)
To obtain copies of the supporting
statement and any related forms for the
proposed paperwork collections
referenced above, access CMS Web Site
address at https://www.cms.hhs.gov/
PaperworkReductionActof1995, or
Email your request, including your
address, phone number, OMB number,
and CMS document identifier, to
Paperwork@cms.hhs.gov, or call the
Reports Clearance Office on (410) 786–
1326.
To be assured consideration,
comments and recommendations for the
proposed information collections must
be received by the OMB desk officer at
the address below, no later than 5 p.m.
on February 28, 2013.
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6111
OMB, Office of Information and
Regulatory Affairs, Attention: CMS Desk
Officer, Fax Number: (202) 395–6974,
Email: OIRA_submission@omb.eop.gov.
Dated: January 22, 2013.
Martique Jones,
Deputy Director, Regulations Development
Group, Office of Strategic Operations and
Regulatory Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2013–01770 Filed 1–25–13; 11:15 am]
BILLING CODE 4120–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
Food and Drug Administration
[Docket No. FDA–2012–N–0012]
Statement of Organization, Functions,
and Delegations of Authority
AGENCY:
Food and Drug Administration,
HHS.
ACTION:
Notice of availability.
The Food and Drug
Administration (FDA), Office of Foods
has modified its structure and
reorganized to the Office of Foods and
Veterinary Medicine (OFVM). This new
organizational structure was approved
by the Secretary of Health and Human
Services on July 20, 2012, and
implemented on October 1, 2012.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Erik Mettler, Office of Foods and
Veterinary Medicine, Food and Drug
Administration, 10903 New
Hampshire Ave., Silver Spring, MD
20993, 301–796–4500.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
SUMMARY:
I. Summary
Part D, Chapter D–B (Food and Drug
Administration), Statement of
Organization, Functions, and
Delegations of Authority for the
Department of Health and Human
Services (35 FR 3685, February 25,
1970; 60 FR 56605, November 9, 1995;
64 FR 36361, July 6, 1999; 72 FR 50112,
August 30, 2007; 74 FR 41713, August
18, 2009; and 76 FR 45270, July 28,
2011) is amended in recognition of the
fact that most of the work of the Center
for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition
and the Center for Veterinary Medicine
affects the food system as a whole and
requires an integrated approach, FDA
has modified the Office of Foods
structure and reorganized to the OFVM.
This reorganization will allow for
effective implementation of the new,
risk-based mandates of the FDA Food
Safety Modernization Act (Pub. L. 111–
353) and the demand the law places on
FDA for an integrated implementation
E:\FR\FM\29JAN1.SGM
29JAN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 19 (Tuesday, January 29, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6109-6111]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-01770]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
[Document Identifier: CMS-10438, CMS-10439 and CMS-10440]
Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB
Review; Comment Request
AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, HHS.
In compliance with the requirement of section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services (CMS), 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 function; (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.
1. Type of Information Collection Request: New collection (Request
for a new OMB control number); Title of Information Collection: Data
Collection to Support Eligibility Determinations and Enrollment for
Employees in the Small Business Health Options Program; Use: Section
1311(b)(1)(B) of the Affordable Care Act requires that the Small
Business health Option Program (SHOP) assist qualified small employers
in facilitating the enrollment of their employees in qualified health
programs (QHPs) offered in the small group market. Section
1311(c)(1)(F) of the Affordable Care Act requires HHS to establish
criteria for certification of health plans as QHPs and that these
criteria must require plans to utilize a uniform enrollment form that
qualified employers may use. Further, section 1311(c)(5)(B) requires
HHS to develop a model application and Web site that assists employers
in determining if they are eligible to participate in SHOP. Consistent
with these authorities, HHS has developed a single, streamlined form
that employees will use apply to the SHOP. Section 155.730 of the
Exchanges Final Rule (77 FR 18310) provides more detail about this
``single employee application,'' which will be used to determine
eligibility.
The information will be required of each employee upon initial
application with subsequent information collections for the purposes of
confirming accuracy of previous submissions or updating information
from previous submissions. Information collection will begin during
initial open enrollment in October 2013, per Sec. 155.410 of the
Exchanges Final Rule. Applications for the SHOP will be collected year
round, per the rolling enrollment requirements of Sec. 155.725 of the
Exchanges Final Rule.
Employees will be able to submit an application for the SHOP
online, using a paper application, over the phone through a call center
operated by an Exchange, or in person through an agent, broker, or
Navigator, per Sec. 155.730(f) of the Exchanges Final Rule. If an
employee does not enroll in coverage through the SHOP, the information
will be erased after a specified period of time. If an employee enrolls
in coverage through the SHOP, the information will be retained to
document the enrollment, to allow reconciliation with issuer records,
and to provide information for future coverage renewals or changes in
coverage.
Every qualified employee of an employer participating in the SHOP
who wishes to apply for coverage through the SHOP will need to complete
an application to determine his or her eligibility. The applicant will
also be asked to verify his or her understanding of the application and
sign attestations regarding information in the application. The
completed application will be submitted to the SHOP in the employer's
state.
Applicants who choose to complete the electronic application will
need to create an online account at the beginning of the application
process.
We estimate that it will take approximately 0.159 hours (9.53
minutes) per applicant to submit a completed paper application. The
Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates approximately 3 million
people will enroll in health insurance through a SHOP in 2014. Assuming
family size of approximately 3 per employee, we expect approximately 1
million employees to complete an application in 2014 for a total of
approximately 93,300 burden hours.
CBO estimates approximately 2 million people will enroll in health
insurance through a SHOP in 2015 and 3 million in 2016. Consequently,
we estimate that approximately 666,666 employees will apply to a SHOP
in 2015
[[Page 6110]]
and approximately 1 million will apply in 2016.
The 60-day Federal Register notice published on July 6, 2012 (77 FR
40061). We received public comments from over 20 entities addressing
topics such as the purpose and use of the information collection and
burden estimates. Some of the commenters were concerned with duplicate
or overly burdensome data collection as related to the employee
application. CMS is working with states to minimize any required
document submission to streamline and reduce duplication, especially in
future years. We have taken into consideration all of the proposed
suggestions and have made changes to this collection of information,
such as adding a privacy statement, information on the availability of
other coverage, pre-population of certain applicant information, and
whether the employee is waiving SHOP coverage.
Form Number: CMS-10438 (OCN: 0938-NEW); Frequency: Once; Affected
Public: Individuals or Households; Number of Respondents: 1,000,000;
Total Annual Responses: 1,000,000; Total Annual Hours: 93,300 hours.
(For policy questions regarding this collection contact Leigha Basini
at 301-492-4307. For all other issues call 410-786-1326.)
2. Type of Information Collection Request: New collection (Request
for a new OMB control number); Title of Information Collection: Data
Collection to Support Eligibility Determinations and Enrollment for
Small Businesses in the Small Business Health Options Program; Use:
Section 1311(b)(1)(B) of the Affordable Care Act requires that the SHOP
assist qualified small employers in facilitating the enrollment of
their employees in QHPs offered in the small group market. Section
1311(c)(1)(F) of the Affordable Care Act requires HHS to establish
criteria for certification of health plans as QHPs and that these
criteria must require plans to utilize a uniform enrollment form that
qualified employers may use. Further, section 1311(c)(5)(B) requires
HHS to develop a model application and web site that assists employers
in determining if they are eligible to participate in SHOP. Consistent
with these authorities, HHS has developed a single, streamlined form
that employers will use apply to the SHOP. Section 155.730 of the
Exchanges Final Rule provides more detail about this ``single employer
application,'' which will be used to determine employer eligibility.
The information will be required of each employer upon initial
application with subsequent information collections for the purposes of
confirming accuracy of previous submissions or updating information
from previous submissions. Information collection will begin during
initial open enrollment in October 2013, per Sec. 155.410 of the
Exchanges Final Rule. Applications for the SHOP will be collected year
round, per the rolling enrollment requirements of Sec. 155.725 of the
Exchanges Final Rule
Employers will be able to submit an application for the SHOP
online, using a paper application, over the phone through a call center
operated by an Exchange, or in person through an agent, broker, or
Navigator, per Sec. 155.730(f) of the Exchanges Final Rule. If an
employer does not complete the application, the information will be
erased after a specified period of time. If an employer completes the
application and offers coverage to qualified employees through the
SHOP, the information will be retained to document the offer of
coverage, to allow reconciliation with issuer records, and to provide
information for future coverage renewals or changes in coverage.
Every employer wishing to apply for coverage through the SHOP will
need to complete an application to determine its eligibility to
participate in the SHOP. The applicant will also be asked to verify his
or her understanding of the application and sign attestations regarding
information in the application. The completed application will be
submitted to the SHOP in the employer's state. Applicants who choose to
complete the electronic application will need to create an online
account at the beginning of the application process.
We estimate that it will take approximately 0.209 hours (12.57
minutes) per applicant to submit a completed paper application. We had
several individuals fill out the paper application, averaged their
times to complete the application, and factored in additional time due
to potential variation in applicants' health literacy rate. The
Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates approximately 3 million
people will enroll in health insurance through a SHOP in 2014. Assuming
a small business size of approximately 5 employees and a family size of
approximately 3 per employee \1\, we estimate that approximately
200,000 employers will apply to a SHOP in 2014. Consequently, we expect
approximately 200,000 employers to complete an application in 2014 for
a total of approximately 24,520 burden hours.
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\1\ Based on US Census data of business size in 2008, the vast
majority of employer firms (restricted to employer firms with 1-99
employees) have 1-4 employees. Based on ASPE analysis of 2011
Current Population Survey data, the average family size (restricted
to individuals under the age of 65) with income above 400% Federal
Poverty Level is 3.16
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CBO estimates approximately 2 million people will enroll in health
insurance through a SHOP in 2015 and 3 million in 2016. Consequently,
we estimate that approximately 133,333 employers will apply to a SHOP
in 2015 and approximately 200,000 will apply in 2016.
The 60-day Federal Register notice published on July 6, 2012 (77 FR
40061). We received public comments from over 20 entities addressing
topics such as the purpose and use of the information collection and
burden estimates. Some of the commenters were concerned with duplicate
or overly burdensome data collection as related to the employer
application. CMS is working with States to minimize any required
document submission to streamline and reduce duplication, especially in
future years. We have taken into consideration all of the proposed
suggestions and have made changes to this collection of information,
such as adding a privacy statement, ``doing business as'' information,
employer type, and making electronic notices the default option. Some
information related to the employer choice of plan offerings and
contribution is removed because it is not necessary for an eligibility
determination. Form Number: CMS-10439 (OCN: 0938-NEW); Frequency:
Annually; Affected Public: Private Sector: Business or Other For-
Profit, Non-For-Profit Institutions, or Farms; Number of Respondents:
200,000; Total Annual Responses: 200,000; Total Annual Hours: 24,520
hours. (For policy questions regarding this collection contact Leigha
Basini at 301-492-4307. For all other issues call 410-786-1326.)
3. Type of Information Collection Request: New collection (Request
for a new OMB control number); Title of information collection: Data
Collection to Support Eligibility Determinations for Insurance
Affordability Programs and Enrollment through Affordable Insurance
Exchanges, Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program Agencies;
Use: Section 1413 of the Affordable Care Act directs the Secretary of
Health and Human Services to develop and provide to each State a
single, streamlined form that may be used to apply for coverage through
the Exchange and Insurance Affordability Programs, including Medicaid,
the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and the Basic Health
Program, as applicable. The application must be
[[Page 6111]]
structured to maximize an applicant's ability to complete the form
satisfactorily, taking into account the characteristics of individuals
who qualify for the programs. A State may develop and use its own
single streamlined application if approved by the Secretary in
accordance with section 1413 and if it meets the standards established
by the Secretary.
Section 155.405(a) of the Exchange Final Rule (77 FR 18310)
provides more detail about the application that must be used by the
Exchange to determine eligibility and to collect information necessary
for enrollment. The regulations in Sec. 435.907 and Sec. 457.330
establish the requirements for State Medicaid and CHIP agencies related
to the use of the single streamlined application. CMS is designing the
single streamlined application to be a dynamic online application that
will tailor the amount of data required from an applicant based on the
applicant's circumstances and responses to particular questions. The
paper version of the application will not be able to be tailored in the
same way but is being designed to collect only the data required to
determine eligibility. Individuals will be able to submit an
application online, through the mail, over the phone through a call
center, or in person, per Sec. 155.405(c)(2) of the Exchange Final
Rule, as well as through other commonly available electronic means as
noted in Sec. 435.907(a) and Sec. 457.330 of the Medicaid Final Rule.
The application may be submitted to an Exchange, Medicaid or CHIP
agency.
The online application process will vary depending on each
applicant's circumstances, their experience with health insurance
applications and online capabilities. The goal is to solicit sufficient
information so that in most cases no further inquiry will be needed. We
estimate that on average it will take approximately .50 hours (30
minutes) to complete for people applying for Insurance Affordability
Programs. It will take an estimated .25 hours (15 minutes) to complete
without consideration for Insurance Affordability Programs. We expect
approximately 7,840,477 applications to be submitted for Insurance
Affordability Programs between 2014 and 2016. The total burden is
estimated to be 5,548,859 cumulative burden hours. We estimate
1,265,823 applications to be submitted online without consideration for
Insurance Affordability Programs between 2014 and 2016, resulting in
284,281 cumulative burden hours. The paper application process will
take approximately .75 hours (45 minutes) to complete for those
applying for Insurance Affordability Programs and .33 hours (20
minutes) for those applying without consideration for Insurance
Affordability Programs. We expect approximately 784,048 applications to
be submitted for Insurance Affordability Programs on paper in 2014
through 2016 for a cumulative total of 588,035 burden hours. We
estimate 126,583 applications will be submitted without consideration
for Insurance Affordability Programs from 2014 through 2016. Total
burden hours are expected to be 41,772 burden between 2014 and 2016.
CMS received approximately 65 public comments in response to the 60
day notice. These comments addressed a range of topics, including the
application process, paper and/or online accessibility, processes for
verifying information, privacy and security of information, and the
types of questions or data elements that should be included. CMS made
significant changes to the application materials, namely moving from
categories of data elements to completed draft applications. Because of
the significant changes throughout, it is not feasible to list each
individual change.
CMS also adjusted the burden estimates due to changes in coverage
estimates due to Congressional Budget Office revisions from July 2012.
The expected number of applications between 2014-216 has increased to
7,840,477 from 7,700,260; the estimated burden hours have increased
from 5,548,859 to 1,812,230. Form Number: CMS-10440 (OCN: 0938-NEW);
Frequency: Once per year; Affected Public: Individuals and Households;
Number of Respondents: 3,035,434; Total Annual Responses: 3,035,434;
Total Annual Hours: 1,085,944 hours. (For policy questions regarding
this collection contact Hannah Moore at 301-492-4232. For all other
issues call 410-786-1326.)
To obtain copies of the supporting statement and any related forms
for the proposed paperwork collections referenced above, access CMS Web
Site address at https://www.cms.hhs.gov/PaperworkReductionActof1995, or
Email your request, including your address, phone number, OMB number,
and CMS document identifier, to Paperwork@cms.hhs.gov, or call the
Reports Clearance Office on (410) 786-1326.
To be assured consideration, comments and recommendations for the
proposed information collections must be received by the OMB desk
officer at the address below, no later than 5 p.m. on February 28,
2013.
OMB, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Attention: CMS
Desk Officer, Fax Number: (202) 395-6974, Email: OIRA_submission@omb.eop.gov.
Dated: January 22, 2013.
Martique Jones,
Deputy Director, Regulations Development Group, Office of Strategic
Operations and Regulatory Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2013-01770 Filed 1-25-13; 11:15 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-01-P
