[Federal Register: March 29, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 60)]
[Notices]
[Page 15751-15752]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr29mr06-104]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Administration for Children and Families
Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request
Proposed Projects
Title: Evaluation to Determine the Effectiveness of the Public
Assistance Reporting Information System (PARIS).
OMB No. New Collection.
Description: The PARIS program is a voluntary information exchange
system that allows States and other entities (counties or jurisdictions
like the District of Columbia) to submit Medical Assistance, Medicaid,
Food Stamp, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
participant data to the Administration for Children and Families (ACF)
to be matched with Federal and participating States' databases to
detect potential dual participation and improper payments. Launched by
ACF in 1997, the PARIS project was developed to provide States with
usable data by which they could identify and correct erroneous payments
and to promote State partnerships and matching of cross-state data to
improve program integrity. There are currently 36 entities
participating in the PARIS project (Member States). ACF is encouraging
the expansion of PARIS via a grantee program by providing funds to
Member States to partner with nonparticipating States to develop the
internal organization and mechanisms needed for PARIS participation. An
implementation and outcome evaluation of the PARIS program will
determine the effectiveness of the program and the resulting impact on
reducing improper payments. Data collected will determine factors
affecting program participation, relevant PARIS administrative and
implementation information, challenges in implementation, cost of
program participation and estimated savings through identified and
resolved participant matches.
Health Systems Research, an ACF Contractor conducting the research,
will send State-level PARIS Administrators surveys regarding the
organization and administration of PARIS, processes used for submitting
data, and follow-up protocols. Information obtained though key-
informant interviews of Medicaid, TANF, and Food Stamp program
officials will provide information regarding relationships among the
various stakeholders, opinions on effectiveness of PARIS, and the
rationale behind decisions. E-mails sent to States will contain cost-
accounting forms, providing cost information on program start-up,
submission of data, follow-up of potential participant matches, and
will then be verified through telephone interviews with program and
fiscal administrators. As part of the final PARIS evaluation, a
prospective and retrospective analysis is planned. Collections of
prospective information from a sample of States that are not yet
committed to permanent participation in PARIS and prospective and
retrospective information from States already participating in the
program are planned.
Two current PARIS sites and one non-PARIS grantee site will
comprise a pilot of the data collection instruments to ensure
evaluation questions are clear and elicit salient responses. Findings
from the pilot study will inform the final PARIS evaluation tool
development.
Respondents: Approximately sixteen States will comprise the sample,
with an estimated twelve respondents from each State, county or
jurisdiction.
Annual Burden Estimates
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Numer of Average
Instrument Number of responses per burden hours Total burden
respondents respondent per response hours
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State-Level PARIS Administrator Survey.......... 16 1 1 16
Medicaid, Food Stamp and TANF Program Officials 160 1 1 160
Key-Informant Interviews.......................
State Cost-Accounting Forms..................... 16 1 1.5 24
Fiscal Administrator Telephone Interviews....... 32 1 1.5 48
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Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 248.
In compliance with the requirements of Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Administration for Children and
[[Page 15752]]
Families is soliciting public comment on the specific aspects of the
information collection described above. Copies of the proposed
collection of information can be obtained and comments may be forwarded
by writing to the Administration for Children and Families, Office of
Administration, Office of Information Services, 370 L'Enfant Promenade,
SW., Washington, DC 20447, Attn: ACF Reports Clearance Officer. E-mail
address: infocollection@acf.hhs.gov. All requests should be identified
by the title of the information collection.
The Department specifically requests comments on: (a) Whether the
proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper
performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the
information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the
agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of
information; (c) the quality, utility, and clarity of the information
to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection
of information on respondents, including through the use of automated
collection techniques or other forms of information technology.
Consideration will be given to comments and suggestions submitted
within 60 days of this publication.
Dated: March 22, 2006.
Robert Sargis,
Reports Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 06-2997 Filed 3-28-06; 8:45am]
BILLING CODE 4184-01-M