[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 227 (Monday, November 26, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70444-70445]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-28569]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
[Document Identifier: CMS-10441]
Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB
Review; 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), Department of Health and Human Services, 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 function; (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:
Medicare Plan Finder Experiment; Use: The mission of the Centers for
Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is to ensure the provision of health
care to its beneficiaries. Recent legislative mandates, including the
Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003,
require CMS to provide information to beneficiaries about the quality
of the Medicare health and prescription drug plans. To provide that
information, all Medicare health and prescription drug plans with an
enrollment of 600 or more are required to collect and report data
following protocols that CMS has established. CMS has also contracted
with various organizations to develop valid and reliable quality
measures and to consider how best to report those measures to
beneficiaries.
A primary vehicle for reporting quality information to
beneficiaries is the Medicare Plan Finder, a section of the Medicare
Web site that is intended to help beneficiaries make informed choices
among health and prescription drug plans. The Medicare Plan Finder tool
contains a great deal of potentially useful information, including
extensive data on the fixed and variable costs associated with being
enrolled in plans, the benefits and coverage that plans offer, and the
quality of service that plans provide, as revealed by member experience
data, disenrollment statistics, and a variety of measures of clinical
processes and outcomes.
One of the key challenges that CMS has faced is how to engage
beneficiaries with the quality information provided in the Medicare
Plan Finder. Among the possible reasons that beneficiaries may fail to
engage with this information are first, that several steps are required
for a user of the Medicare Plan Finder to gain access to comparative
plan information, and second that once the user does reach a data
display, the amount of information presented is voluminous, and can
seem overwhelming.
This study will use an experimental design to assess the
effectiveness of two potential enhancements to the Medicare Plan Finder
tool that may help address these barriers to engagement and use of
quality information. The purpose of this experiment is to test the
effects of two prospective enhancements to the Medicare Plan Finder
(MPF) Web site. We refer to these prospective enhancements as the
``Quick Links'' home page and the ``enhanced data display.'' Form
Number: CMS-10441(OCN: 0938-New); Frequency: Reporting--Once;
Affected Public: individuals or households; Number of Respondents: 600;
Total Annual Responses: 600; Total Annual Hours: 252. (For policy
questions regarding this collection contact David Miranda at 410-786-
7819. For all other issues call 410-786-1326.)
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/PaperworkReductionActof1995, or
Email 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.
[[Page 70445]]
To be assured consideration, comments and recommendations for the
proposed information collections must be received by the OMB desk
officer at the address below, no later than 5 p.m. on January 10, 2013.
OMB, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Attention: CMS
Desk Officer, Fax Number: (202) 395-6974, Email: [email protected].
Dated: November 19, 2012.
Martique Jones,
Director, Regulations Development Group, Division B, Office of
Strategic Operations and Regulatory Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2012-28569 Filed 11-23-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-01-P