[Federal Register: January 20, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 13)]
[Notices]               
[Page 3308-3309]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr20ja06-69]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

[Document Identifier: CMS 10171, CMS-250-254, and CMS-R-305]

 
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request

    Agency: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
    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) 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 functions; (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: Extension of a currently 
approved collection; Title of Information Collection: Coordination of 
Benefits between Part D Plans and Other Prescription Coverage 
Providers; Form Number: CMS 10171 (OMB: 0938-0978); Use: 
Section 1860D-23 and 1860D-24 of the Social Security Act requires the 
Secretary to establish requirements for prescription drug plans to 
ensure the effective coordination between Part D plans, State 
pharmaceutical assistance programs and other payers. The requirements 
must relate to the following elements: (1) enrollment file sharing; (2) 
claims processing and payment; (3) claims reconciliation reports; (4) 
application of the protections against high out-of-pocket expenditures 
by tracking True out-of-pocket (TrOOP) expenditures; and (5) other 
processes that the Secretary determines. This information will be used 
by Part D plans, other health insurers or payers, pharmacies and CMS to 
coordinate prescription drug benefits provided to the Medicare 
beneficiary.; Frequency: Reporting--Monthly; Affected Public: Business 
or other for-profit, Federal, State, Local and or Tribal Government; 
Number of Respondents: 56,320; Total Annual Responses: 2,153,767,270; 
Total Annual Hours: 1,017,914.
    2. Type of Information Collection Request: Extension of a currently 
approved collection; Title of Information Collection: Medicare 
Secondary Payer Information Collection and Supporting Regulations in 42 
CFR 411.25, 489.2, and 489.20; Form Number: CMS 250-254 (OMB: 
0938-0214); Use: Medicare Secondary Payer Information (MSP) is 
essentially the same concept known in the private insurance industry as 
coordination of benefits, and refers to those situations where Medicare 
does not have primary responsibility for paying the medical expenses of 
a Medicare beneficiary. Medicare Fiscal Intermediaries, Carriers, and 
now Part D plans, need information about primary payers in order to 
perform various tasks to detect and process MSP cases and make 
recoveries. MSP information is collected at various times and from 
numerous parties during a beneficiary's membership in the Medicare 
Program. Collecting MSP information in a timely manner means that 
claims are processed correctly the first time, decreasing the costs 
associated with adjusting claims and recovering mistaken payments.; 
Frequency: Reporting--On Occasion; Affected Public: Individuals or 
Households, Business or other for-profit, Not-for-profit institutions; 
Number of Respondents: 134,553,682; Total Annual Responses: 
134,553,682; Total Annual Hours: 1,611,303.
    3. Type of Information Collection Request: Extension of a currently 
approved collection; Title of Information Collection: External Quality 
Review for Medicaid Managed Care Organizations (MCOs); Form Number: 
CMS-R-305 (OMB: 0938-0786); Use: The results of Medicare 
reviews, Medicare accreditation surveys, and Medicaid external quality 
reviews will be used by States in assessing the quality of care 
provided to Medicaid beneficiaries provided by MCOs and to provide 
information on the quality of the care provided to the general public 
upon request; Frequency: Annually; Affected Public: Business or other 
for-profit, State, Local and or Tribal Government; Number of 
Respondents: 542; Total Annual Responses: 14,266; Total Annual Hours: 
648,877.
    To obtain copies of the supporting statement and any related forms 
for the proposed paperwork collections referenced above, access CMS' 
Web Site address at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/regulations/pra/, or E-mail 

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 at the address below, 
no later than 5 p.m. on March 21, 2006.
    CMS, Office of Strategic Operations and Regulatory Affairs, 
Division of Regulations Development--C, Attention: Bonnie L Harkless, 
Room C4-26-05, 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, Maryland 21244-1850.


[[Page 3309]]


    Dated: January 12, 2006.
Michelle Shortt,
Director, Regulations Development Group, Office of Strategic Operations 
and Regulatory Affairs.
[FR Doc. E6-628 Filed 1-19-06; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4120-01-P