Department of Health and Human Services August 23, 2016 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice seeks to collect comments on revisions to an existing collection: Annual Protection and Advocacy Systems Program Performance Report (0985-0027). State Protection and Advocacy (P&A) Systems in each State and Territory provide individual legal advocacy, systemic advocacy, monitoring and investigations to protect and advance the rights of people with developmental disabilities, using funding administered by the Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Administration on Disability, Administration on Community Living, HHS. The Developmental Disabilities and Bill of Rights Act, 42 U.S.C. 15044, requires each P&A to annually prepare a report that describes the activities and accomplishments of the system during the preceding fiscal year and a Statement of Goals and Priorities (SGP) (0985-0034) for each coming fiscal year. P&As are required to annually report on ``the activities, accomplishments, and expenditures of the system during the preceding fiscal year, including a description of the system's goals, the extent to which the goals were achieved, barriers to their achievement, the process used to obtain public input, the nature of such input, and how such input was used.'' To meet it statutory reporting requirements, P&As have used separate forms for submitting the annual report (0985-0027) and the SGP (0985-0034). It is proposed that the two be combined by creating the Protection and Advocacy Annual Program Performance Report and Statement of Goals and Priorities form. By combining the forms, P&As will have a reduced burden by submitting only one report annually. The combined form will also allow federal reviewers to analyze patterns more readily between goals and priority setting and program performance. The annual program performance report (PPR) and SGP is reviewed by federal staff for compliance and program outcomes. Information in the PPRs and SGPs is analyzed to create a national profile of programmatic compliance, program outcomes, and goals and priorities for P&A Systems. These profiles are used to track accomplishments against goals, develop technical assistance, and determine compliance with Federal requirements. Information collected in the unified report also will inform AIDD of trends in P&A advocacy, collaboration with other federally-funded entities, and best practices for efficient use of federal funds.

In compliance with section 3507(a)(1)(D) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Office of the Secretary (OS), Department of Health and Human Services, has submitted an Information Collection Request (ICR), described below, to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. The ICR is for a new collection. Comments submitted during the first public review of this ICR will be provided to OMB. OMB will accept further comments from the public on this ICR during the review and approval period.

In compliance with section 3507(a)(1)(D) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Office of the Secretary (OS), Department of Health and Human Services, has submitted an Information Collection Request (ICR), described below, to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. The ICR is for renewal of the approved information collection assigned OMB control number 0937-0025, scheduled to expire on November 30, 2016. Comments submitted during the first public review of this ICR will be provided to OMB. OMB will accept further comments from the public on this ICR during the review and approval period.

In compliance with section 3507(a)(1)(D) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Office of the Secretary (OS), Department of Health and Human Services, has submitted an Information Collection Request (ICR), described below, to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. The ICR is for a new collection. Comments submitted during the first public review of this ICR will be provided to OMB. OMB will accept further comments from the public on this ICR during the review and approval period.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as part of its continuing efforts to reduce public burden and maximize the utility of government information, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. This notice invites comment on the Report of Verified Case of Tuberculosis (RVCT). These data are routinely collected in the operation of Tuberculosis control programs.

This request for information seeks public comment regarding concerns about health care providers and provider-affiliated organizations steering people eligible for or receiving Medicare and/or Medicaid benefits to an individual market plan for the purpose of obtaining higher payment rates. CMS is concerned about reports of this practice and is requesting comments on the frequency and impact of this issue from the public. We believe this practice not only could raise overall health system costs, but could potentially be harmful to patient care and service coordination because of changes to provider networks and drug formularies, result in higher out-of-pocket costs for enrollees, and have a negative impact on the individual market single risk pool (or the combined risk pool in states that have chosen to merge their risk pools). We are seeking input from stakeholders and the public regarding the frequency and impact of this practice, and options to limit this practice.