[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 113 (Wednesday, June 14, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27257-27258]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-12229]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
[Document Identifier: CMS-10652]
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection;
Comment Request
AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, HHS.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is
announcing an opportunity for the public to comment on CMS' intention
to collect information from the public. Under the Paperwork Reduction
Act of 1995 (the PRA), federal agencies are required to publish notice
in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of
information (including each proposed extension or reinstatement of an
existing collection of information) and to allow 60 days for public
comment on the proposed action. Interested persons are invited to send
comments regarding our burden estimates or any other aspect of this
collection of information, including the necessity and utility of the
proposed information collection for the proper performance of the
agency's functions, the accuracy of the estimated burden, ways to
enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be
collected, and the use of automated collection techniques or other
forms of information technology to minimize the information collection
burden.
DATES: Comments must be received by August 14, 2017.
ADDRESSES: When commenting, please reference the document identifier or
OMB control number. To be assured consideration, comments and
recommendations must be submitted in any one of the following ways:
1. Electronically. You may send your comments electronically to
http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for ``Comment or
Submission'' or ``More Search Options'' to find the information
collection document(s) that are 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/OMB
Control Number ___, Room C4-26-05, 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore,
Maryland 21244-1850.
To obtain copies of a supporting statement and any related forms
for the proposed collection(s) summarized in this notice, you may make
your request using one of following:
1. Access CMS' Web site address at https://www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance/Legislation/PaperworkReductionActof1995/PRA-Listing.html.
2. Email your request, including your address, phone number, OMB
number, and CMS document identifier, to [email protected].
3. Call the Reports Clearance Office at (410) 786-1326.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: William Parham at (410) 786-4669.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Contents
This notice sets out a summary of the use and burden associated
with the following information collections. More detailed information
can be found in each collection's supporting statement and associated
materials (see ADDRESSES).
CMS-10652 Virtual Groups for Merit-Based Incentive Payment System
(MIPS)
Under the PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), federal agencies must obtain
approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for each
collection of information they conduct or sponsor. The term
``collection of information'' is defined in 44 U.S.C. 3502(3) and 5 CFR
1320.3(c) and includes agency requests or requirements that members of
the public submit reports, keep records, or provide information to a
third party. Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA requires federal agencies
to publish a 60-day notice in the Federal Register concerning each
proposed collection of information, including each proposed extension
or reinstatement of an existing collection of information, before
submitting the collection to OMB for approval. To comply with this
requirement, CMS is publishing this notice.
Information Collection
1. Type of Information Collection Request: New collection of
information request; Title of Information Collection: Virtual Groups
for Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS); Use: CMS acknowledges
the unique challenges that small practices and practices in rural areas
may face with the implementation of the Quality Payment Program. To
help support these practices and provide them with additional
flexibility, CMS has created a virtual group reporting option starting
with the 2018 MIPS performance period. CMS held webinars and small,
interactive feedback sessions to gain insight from clinicians as we
developed our policies on virtual groups. During these sessions,
participants expressed a strong interest in virtual groups, and
indicated that the right policies could minimize clinician burden and
bolster clinician success.
This information collection request is related to the statutorily
required virtual group election process proposed in the CY 2018 Quality
Payment Program proposed rule. A virtual group is a combination of Tax
Identification Numbers (TINs), which would include at least two
separate TINs associated with a solo practitioner TIN and National
Provider Identifier (TIN/NPI) or group with 10 or fewer MIPS eligible
clinicians and another solo practitioner (TIN/NPI) or group with 10 or
fewer MIPS eligible clinicians.
Section 1848(q)(5)(I) of the Act requires that CMS establish and
have in place a process to allow an individual MIPS eligible clinician
or group consisting of not more than 10 MIPS eligible clinicians to
elect, with respect to a performance period for a year to be in a
virtual group with at least one other such individual MIPS eligible
clinician or group. The Act also provides for the use of voluntary
virtual groups for certain assessment purposes, including the election
of practices to be a virtual group and the requirements for the
election process.
Section 1848(q)(5)(I)(i) of the Act also provides that MIPS
eligible clinicians electing to be a virtual group must: (1) Have their
performance assessed for the quality and cost performance categories in
a manner that applies the combined performance of all the MIPS eligible
clinicians in the virtual group to each MIPS eligible clinician in the
virtual group for the applicable performance period; and (2) be scored
for the quality and cost performance categories based on such
assessment.
CMS will use the data collected from virtual group representatives
to determine eligibility to participate in a virtual group, approve the
formation of that virtual group, based on determination of each TIN
size, and assign a virtual group identifier to the virtual group. The
data collected will
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also be used to assign a performance score to each TIN/NPI in the
virtual group. Form Number: CMS-10652 (OMB control number: 0938-NEW);
Frequency: Annually; Affected Public: Private Sector: Business or other
for-profits and Not-for-profit institutions and Individuals; Number of
Respondents: 16; Total Annual Responses: 16; Total Annual Hours: 160.
(For policy questions regarding this collection contact Michelle
Peterman at 410-786-2591.)
Dated: June 8, 2017.
William N. Parham, III,
Director, Paperwork Reduction Staff, Office of Strategic Operations and
Regulatory Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2017-12229 Filed 6-13-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-01-P