[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 214 (Thursday, November 5, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59795-59796]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-29677]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Health Care Financing Administration
[Collection # HCFA-R-265]
Emergency Clearance: Public Information Collection Requirements
Submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
In compliance with the requirement of section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Health Care Financing
Administration (HCFA), Department of Health and Human Services (DHSS),
has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) the
following request for Emergency review. We are requesting an emergency
review because the collection of this information is needed prior to
the expiration of the normal time limits under OMB's regulations at 5
C.F.R. Part 1320. We cannot reasonably comply with the normal clearance
procedures because of the statutory requirement to implement section
4016 of Balanced Budget Act of 1997.
We are requesting OMB review and approval of this collection within
11 working days, with a 180-day approval period. Written comments and
recommendations will be accepted from the public if received by the
individual designated below, within 10 working days of the publication
of this notice in the Federal Register. During this 180-day period HCFA
will pursue OMB clearance of this collection as stipulated by 5 C.F.R.
section 1320.5.
In order to fairly evaluate whether an information collection
should be approved by OMB, section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA requires
that we solicit comments on the following issues:
The need for the information collection and its usefulness
in carrying out the proper functions of our agency.
The accuracy of our estimate of the information collection
burden.
The quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be
collected.
Recommendations to minimize the information collection
burden on the affected public, including automated collection
techniques.
Therefore, we are soliciting public comment on each of these issues
for the information collection summarized and discussed below.
Type of Information Collection Request: New collection;
Title of Information Collection: Medicare Coordinated Care
Demonstration Project and Request for Information on Potential Best
Practices of Coordinated Care;
Form/Collection No.: HCFA-R-265;
Use: Section 4016 of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (Public Law
105-33) requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (the
Secretary) to evaluate best practices in the private sector for methods
of coordinated care. The statute also directs the Secretary to design a
demonstration project for the Medicare fee-for-service population based
on such evaluation.
The purpose of the demonstration is to evaluate models of
coordinated care that improve the quality of services provided to
beneficiaries who have a chronic illness and reduce expenditures under
Parts A and B of the Medicare program.
We competitively awarded a task order to Mathematica Policy
Research, Inc. (MPR) to conduct a review of best practices in
coordinating care and provide a recommendation of demonstration design
options. We will perform the final assessment of best practices and
select the demonstration design.
We will publish a notice to announce our intent to conduct the
Medicare Coordinated Care Demonstration and inform interested parties
of the opportunity to submit information on potential best practices of
coordinated care, as well as comment on potential aspects of the
overall demonstration. We will solicit information on successful models
of coordinated care, disease management, or case management that are
appropriate for the Medicare fee-for-service population.
In the notice we will request that any person or organization
submit information about successful programs; however, the information
must provide evidence of success in sufficient detail to be useful.
Thus, operators of programs may be in the best position to submit
information regarding their approach. We are interested in the
following items of information:
[[Page 59796]]
The name and address of the program.
The name, address, telephone number, facsimile number, and
E-mail address of a contact person.
Background information on the program (including goals,
history, relationship to larger organization(s), number of clients
served, and length of time the program has been in operation).
Special or innovative features of the program.
Size and composition of the staff (number of registered
nurses and number of social workers performing case management).
Referral sources, targeting criteria, and selection
criteria, if any, for participants.
Information on the patients the program serves, including
age ranges, diagnoses or conditions, and/or functional impairments.
Program intervention and how services differ from the
usual care the patient would have received.
How care plans are developed and monitored for each
patient.
Patient education efforts, if any.
Patient monitoring efforts, if any.
Feedback to providers, if any.
Average length of time patient is in program.
Funding source(s) for the program.
Financial incentives, if any, for providers and patients
to participate.
Outcome measures by which the program's performance is
evaluated (including clinical, utilization, client-reported, and
financial measures used).
Program impacts on these measures.
Cost savings due to the program (total and per person
served per month).
How the program impacts and cost savings were calculated
(i.e., method of estimating reduction in use and costs, such as
comparison to control group or prior year experience).
Costs of operating the program (average per patient, per
month costs).
Adaptability of the program to the Medicare fee-for-
service setting.
Program brochures or published articles, if any.
We are also interested in comments on potential aspects of the
overall demonstration. Specifically, we are interested in comments that
discuss and distinguish program characteristics known to be essential
for positive outcomes in a fee-for-service setting from characteristics
of lesser or unknown importance. Commenters may also wish to address
the types of providers, organizations, or entities that are capable of,
and qualified to provide, coordinated care or case management services.
Other topics of importance include, but are not limited to:
The relationship of the case management entity with other
providers.
The potential role of the case manager in authorizing and/
or providing services beyond coordinating and educational activities.
Appropriate incentives for the case management entity,
beneficiaries, and other providers.
Appropriate payment methodology.
Potential risk bearing arrangements for the case
management entity.
In addition, we will seek comments regarding challenges to, and
potential solutions for, implementing a coordinated care demonstration
in rural sites.
Frequency: One time;
Affected Public: Business or other for-profit, not-for-profit
institutions;
Number of Respondents: 1,000;
Total Annual Responses: 1,000;
Total Annual Hours: 10,000.
To obtain copies of the supporting statement and any related forms
for the proposed paperwork collections referenced above, E-mail your
request, including your address, phone number, and HCFA form number
referenced above, to P[email protected], or call the Reports Clearance
Office on (410) 786-1326.
Interested persons are invited to send comments regarding the
burden or any other aspect of these collections of information
requirements. However, as noted above, comments on these information
collection requirements must be mailed and/or faxed within 10 working
days of the publication of this notice in the Federal Register to the
designee referenced below:
Health Care Financing Administration, Office of Information
Services, Standards and Security Group, Division of HCFA Enterprise
Standards, Room N2-14-26, 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21244-
1850.
Attn: Dawn Willinghan, HCFA-R-265, Fax Number: (410) 786-0262 and,
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and
Budget, Room 10235, New Executive Office Building, Washington, DC
20503, Attn: Allison Eydt, HCFA Desk Officer. Fax Number: (202) 395-
6974 or (202) 395-5167.
Datedd: October 30, 1998.
John P. Burke III,
HCFA Reports Clearance Officer, HCFA, Office of Information Services,
Security and Standards Group, Division of HCFA Enterprise Standards.
[FR Doc. 98-29677 Filed 11-4-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-03-P