Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request, 39440-39442 [2017-17495]

Agencies

• Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
• DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 159 (Friday, August 18, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39440-39442]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-17495]



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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES



Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services



[Document Identifier: CMS-10437 and CMS-10652]




Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB 

Review; Comment Request



AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, HHS.



ACTION: Notice.



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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 (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 a second opportunity 

for public comment on the notice. Interested persons are invited to 

send comments regarding the burden estimate 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 on the collection(s) of information must be received by 

the OMB desk officer by September 18, 2017.



ADDRESSES: When commenting on the proposed information collections, 

please reference the document identifier or OMB control number. To be 

assured consideration, comments and recommendations must be received by 

the OMB desk officer via one of the following transmissions: OMB, 

Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Attention: CMS Desk 

Officer, Fax Number: (202) 395-5806 OR, Email: 

OIRA_submission@omb.eop.gov.

    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' Web site address at https://www.cms.hhs.gov/PaperworkReductionActof1995.



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    2. Email your request, including your address, phone number, OMB 

number, and CMS document identifier, to Paperwork@cms.hhs.gov.

    3. Call the Reports Clearance Office at (410) 786-1326.



FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: William Parham at (410) 786-4669.



SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 

(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 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)) requires 

federal agencies to publish a 30-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 that 

summarizes the following proposed collection(s) of information for 

public comment:

    1. Type of Information Collection Request: Extension of a currently 

approved collection; Title of Information Collection: Generic Social 

Marketing & Consumer Testing Research; Use: The purpose of this 

submission is to extend the approval of the generic clearance for a 

program of consumer research aimed at a broad audience of those 

affected by CMS programs including Medicare, Medicaid, Children's 

Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and health insurance exchanges. This 

program extends strategic efforts to reach and tailor communications to 

beneficiaries, caregivers, providers, stakeholders, and any other 

audiences that would support the Agency in improving the functioning of 

the health care system, improve patient care and outcomes, and reduce 

costs without sacrificing quality of care. The information collected 

will be used to create a streamlined and proactive process for 

collection of data and utilizing the feedback on service delivery for 

continuous improvement of communication activities aimed at diverse CMS 

audiences.

    The generic clearance will allow rapid response to inform CMS 

initiatives using a mixture of qualitative and quantitative consumer 

research strategies (including formative research studies and 

methodological tests) to improve communication with key CMS audiences. 

As new information resources and persuasive technologies are developed, 

they can be tested and evaluated for beneficiary response to the 

materials and delivery channels. Results will inform communication 

development and information architecture as well as allow for 

continuous quality improvement. The overall goal is to maximize the 

extent to which consumers have access to useful sources of CMS program 

information in a form that can help them make the most of their 

benefits and options.

    The activities under this clearance involve social marketing and 

consumer research using samples of self-selected customers, as well as 

convenience samples, and quota samples, with respondents selected 

either to cover a broad range of customers or to include specific 

characteristics related to certain products or services. All collection 

of information under this clearance will utilize a subset of items 

drawn from a core collection of customizable items referred to as the 

Social Marketing and Consumer Testing Item Bank. This item bank is 

designed to establish a set of pre-approved generic question that can 

be drawn upon to allow for the rapid turn-around consumer testing 

required for us to communicate more effectively with our audiences. The 

questions in the item bank are divided into two major categories. One 

set focuses on characteristics of individuals and is intended primarily 

for participant screening and for use in structured quantitative on-

line or telephone surveys. The other set is less structured and is 

designed for use in qualitative one-on-one and small group discussions 

or collecting information related to subjective impressions of test 

materials. Results will be compiled and disseminated so that future 

communication can be informed by the testing results. We will use the 

findings to create the greatest possible public benefit. Form Number: 

CMS-10437 (OMB control number: 0938-1247); Frequency: Yearly; Affected 

Public: Individuals; Number of Respondents: 41,592; Number of 

Responses: 28,800; Total Annual Hours: 21,488. (For policy questions 

regarding this collection contact Allyssa Allen at 410-786-8436126.)

    2. Type of Information Collection Request: New collection of 

information request; Title of Information Collection: Virtual Groups 

for Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS); Use: CMS acknowledges 

the unique challenges that small practices and practices in rural areas 

may face with the implementation of the Quality Payment Program. To 

help support these practices and provide them with additional 

flexibility, CMS has created a virtual group reporting option starting 

with the 2018 MIPS performance period. CMS held webinars and small, 

interactive feedback sessions to gain insight from clinicians as we 

developed our policies on virtual groups. During these sessions, 

participants expressed a strong interest in virtual groups, and 

indicated that the right policies could minimize clinician burden and 

bolster clinician success.

    This information collection request is related to the statutorily 

required virtual group election process proposed in the CY 2018 Quality 

Payment Program proposed rule. A virtual group is a combination of Tax 

Identification Numbers (TINs), which would include at least two 

separate TINs associated with a solo practitioner TIN and National 

Provider Identifier (TIN/NPI) or group with 10 or fewer MIPS eligible 

clinicians and another solo practitioner (TIN/NPI) or group with 10 or 

fewer MIPS eligible clinicians.

    Section 1848(q)(5)(I) of the Act requires that CMS establish and 

have in place a process to allow an individual MIPS eligible clinician 

or group consisting of not more than 10 MIPS eligible clinicians to 

elect, with respect to a performance period for a year to be in a 

virtual group with at least one other such individual MIPS eligible 

clinician or group. The Act also provides for the use of voluntary 

virtual groups for certain assessment purposes, including the election 

of practices to be a virtual group and the requirements for the 

election process.

    Section 1848(q)(5)(I)(i) of the Act also provides that MIPS 

eligible clinicians electing to be a virtual group must: (1) Have their 

performance assessed for the quality and cost performance categories in 

a manner that applies the combined performance of all the MIPS eligible 

clinicians in the virtual group to each MIPS eligible clinician in the 

virtual group for the applicable performance period; and (2) be scored 

for the quality and cost performance categories based on such 

assessment.

    CMS will use the data collected from virtual group representatives 

to determine eligibility to participate in a virtual group, approve the 

formation of that virtual group, based on determination of each TIN 

size, and assign a virtual group identifier to the virtual group. The 

data collected will also be used to assign a performance score to each 

TIN/NPI in the virtual group. Form Number: CMS-10652 (OMB control 

number: 0938-NEW);



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Frequency: Annually; Affected Public: Private Sector: Business or other 

for-profits and Not-for-profit institutions and Individuals; Number of 

Respondents: 16; Total Annual Responses: 16; Total Annual Hours: 160. 

(For policy questions regarding this collection contact Michelle 

Peterman at 410-786-2591.)



    Dated: August 15, 2017.

Martique Jones,

Director, Regulations Development Group, Office of Strategic Operations 

and Regulatory Affairs.

[FR Doc. 2017-17495 Filed 8-17-17; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4120-01-P