[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 223 (Friday, November 19, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70930-70931]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-29076]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
[Document Identifier: CMS-10360 and CMS-10106]
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection;
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) 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: New collection; Title of
Information Collection: Consumer Research on Public Reporting of
Hospital Outpatient Measures; Use: One of the primary missions of CMS
is to improve the quality and efficiency of care in the Fee-for-Service
(FFS) program. One of the several vehicles used for this mission is the
public reporting of quality, efficiency and cost information about
hospital care on the Hospital Compare Web site. This vehicle also
serves to provide Medicare beneficiaries and other consumers with the
type of data needed to make informed decisions about which providers to
use for their care.
In 2001, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)
announced the Quality Initiative to ensure the quality of health care
for all Americans through accountability and public disclosure. The
goals of the initiative are to empower consumers with quality-of-care
information so they can make more informed decisions about their health
care and to stimulate and support providers and clinicians to improve
the quality of health care. As part of the DHHS Transparency Initiative
on Quality Reporting, CMS plans to add new patient safety measures in
the areas of hospital acquired conditions and healthcare associated
infections, to the Hospital Compare Web site in 2011. CMS also intends
to begin utilizing displays of composite measures summarizing both
process and outcome measures. This information collection request
covers consumer research on displays, labels, and explanatory language
to insure that the Web site is understood by viewers in a manner
consistent with CMS's intended communication message. Form Number: CMS-
10360 (OMB: 0938-New); Frequency: Once; Affected Public:
Individuals and Households; Number of Respondents: 248; Total Annual
Responses: 248; Total Annual Hours: 241. (For policy questions
regarding this collection contact David Miranda at 410-786-7819. For
all other issues call 410-786-1326.)
2. Type of Information Collection Request: Revision of currently
approved collection; Title of Information Collection: Medicare
Authorization to Disclose Personal Health Information; Use: Unless
permitted or required by law, the Health Insurance Portability and
Accountability Act (HIPAA) prohibits Medicare (a HIPAA covered entity)
from disclosing an individual's protected health information without a
valid authorization. In order to be valid, an authorization must
include specified core elements and statements. Medicare will make
available to Medicare beneficiaries a standard, valid authorization to
enable beneficiaries to request the disclosure of their protected
health information. This standard authorization will simplify the
process of requesting information disclosure for beneficiaries and
minimize the response time for Medicare. The completed authorization
will allow Medicare to disclose an individual's personal health
information to a third party at the individual's request. Form Number:
CMS-10106 (OMB: 0938-0930); Frequency: Reporting--On occasion;
Affected Public: Individuals or households; Number of Respondents:
1,004,000; Total Annual Responses: 1,004,000; Total Annual Hours:
251,000. (For policy questions regarding this collection contact
Lindsay Dixon-Brown at 410-786-1178. For all other issues call 410-786-
1326.)
To obtain copies of the supporting statement and any related forms
for the
[[Page 70931]]
proposed paperwork collections referenced above, access CMS' Web Site
at http:[sol][sol]www.cms.hhs.gov[sol]PaperworkReductionActof1995, or
E-mail your request, including your address, phone number, OMB number,
and CMS document identifier, to [email protected], or call the
Reports Clearance Office on (410) 786-1326.
In commenting on the proposed information collections please
reference the document identifier or OMB control number. To be assured
consideration, comments and recommendations must be submitted in one of
the following ways by January 18, 2011:
1. Electronically. You may submit your comments electronically to
http:[sol][sol]www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for
``Comment or Submission'' or ``More Search Options'' to find the
information collection document(s) accepting comments.
2. By regular mail. You may mail written comments to the following
address: CMS, Office of Strategic Operations and Regulatory Affairs,
Division of Regulations Development, Attention: Document
Identifier[sol]OMB Control Number, Room C4-26-05, 7500 Security
Boulevard, Baltimore, Maryland 21244-1850.
Dated: November 12, 2010.
Michelle Shortt,
Director, Regulations Development Group, Office of Strategic Operations
and Regulatory Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2010-29076 Filed 11-18-10; 8:45 am]
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