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: Revision of a currently approved collection; Title of Information Collection: Long Term Care Hospital (LCTH) Continuity Assessment Record and Evaluation (CARE) Data Set; Use: Section 3004 of the Affordable Care Act authorizes the establishment of a new quality reporting program for LTCH. LTCHs that fail to submit quality measure data may be subject to a 2 percentage point reduction in their annual update to the standard Federal rate for discharges occurring during a rate year. In the FY 2013 IPPS/LTCH PPS final rule (76 FR 51743 through 51756), CMS retained three measures (NQF #0678, NQF #0138 and NQF #0139) and adopted two new measure (NQF #0680 and NQF#0431) for the FY 2016 payment determination. NQF #0680 is the percent of residents or patients who were assessed and appropriately given the seasonal influenza vaccine (short-stay). NQF #0431 is influenza vaccination coverage among healthcare personnel. The data collection for these two NQF endorsed measures will start January 1, 2014.

LTCH CARE Data Set was developed specifically for use in LTCHs for data collection of NQF #0678 Pressure Ulcer measures beginning October 1, 2012, with the understanding that the data set would expand in future rulemaking years with the adoption of additional quality measures. Relevant data elements contained in other well-known and clinically established data sets, including but not limited to the Minimum Data Set 3.0 (MDS 3.0) and CARE, were incorporated into the LTCH CARE Data Set V1.01. Form Number: CMS-10409 (OCN: 0938-1163); Frequency: Occasionally; Affected Public: Private Sector: Business or other for-profit and not-for-profit institutions; Number of Respondents: 442; Total Annual Responses: 403,988; Total Annual Hours: 212,160. (For policy questions regarding this collection contact Charles Padgett at 410-786-2811. For all other issues call 410-786-1326.)

2. Type of Information Collection Request: New collection (request for a new OMB control number). Title of Information Collection: Emergency Department Patient Experience of Care Survey. Use: This survey supports the six national priorities for improving care from the National Quality Strategy developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that was called for under the Affordable Care Act to create national aims and priorities to guide local, state, and national efforts to improve the quality of health care. This strategy has established six priorities that support a three-part aim focusing on better care, better health, and lower costs through improvement. The six priorities include: making care safer by reducing harm caused by the delivery of care; ensuring that each person and family are engaged as partners in their care; promoting effective communication and coordination of care; promoting the most effective prevention and treatment practices for the leading causes of mortality, starting with cardiovascular disease; working with communities to promote wide use of best practices to enable healthy living; and making quality care more affordable for individuals, families, employers, and governments by developing and spreading new health care delivery models. This survey will provide patient experiences with care data that enables making comparisons of emergency departments across the nation and promoting effective communication and coordination. Form Number: CMS-10461 (OCN 0938-New). Frequency: Once. Affected Public: Individuals and households. Number of Respondents: Total Annual Responses: 3,360. Total Annual Hours: 799. (For policy questions regarding this collection contact Sai Ma at 410-786-1479. 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 Paperwork@cms.hhs.gov, 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 April 2, 2013:

1. Electronically. You may submit 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) 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.