Notice2021-27603
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
December 21, 2021
Issuing agencies
Health and Human Services DepartmentCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Abstract
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.
Full Text
<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 242 (Tuesday, December 21, 2021)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 242 (Tuesday, December 21, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72244-72245]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2021-27603]
[[Page 72244]]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Document Identifier: CMS-10621, CMS-10141 and CMS-10630]
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection;
Comment Request
AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Health and Human
Services (HHS).
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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 February 22, 2022.
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
<a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>. 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' website address at website address at <a href="https://www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance/Legislation/PaperworkReductionActof1995/PRA-Listing.html">https://www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance/Legislation/PaperworkReductionActof1995/PRA-Listing.html</a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: William N. 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-10621 Quality Payment Program/Merit-Based Incentive Payment System
(MIPS)
CMS-10141 Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Program
CMS-10630 The PACE Organization (PO) Monitoring and Audit Process in 42
CFR part 460
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: Extension of a currently
approved collection; Title of Information Collection: Quality Payment
Program/Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS); Use: The Merit-
based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) is a program for certain eligible
clinicians that makes Medicare payment adjustments based on performance
on quality, cost and other measures and activities. MIPS and Advanced
Alternative Payment Models (AAPMs) are the two paths for clinicians
available through the Quality Payment Program authorized by the
Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA). As
prescribed by MACRA, MIPS focuses on the following performance areas:
Quality--a set of evidence-based, specialty-specific standards;
improvement activities that focus on practice-based improvements; cost;
and use of Certified Electronic Health Record Technology (CEHRT) to
support interoperability and advanced quality objectives in a single,
cohesive program that avoids redundancies.
Under the AAPM path, eligible clinicians may become Qualifying APM
Participants (QPs) and are excluded from MIPS. Partial Qualifying APM
Participants (Partial QPs) may opt to report and be scored under MIPS.
APM Entities and eligible clinicians must also submit all of the
required information about the Other Payer Advanced APMs in which they
participate, including those for which there is a pending request for
an Other Payer Advanced APM determination, as well as the payment
amount and patient count information sufficient for us to make QP
determinations by December 1 of the calendar year that is 2 years to
prior to the payment year, which we refer to as the QP Determination
Submission Deadline (82 FR 53886).
The implementation of MIPS requires the collection of quality,
Promoting Interoperability, and improvement activities performance
category data. For the quality performance category, MIPS eligible
clinicians and groups will have the option to submit data using various
submission types, including Medicare claims, direct, log in and upload,
CMS Web Interface and CMS-approved survey vendors. For the improvement
activities and Promoting Interoperability, clinicians and groups can
submit data through direct, log in and upload, or log in and attest
submission types. As finalized in the CY 2021 PFS final rule (85 FR
84860), for clinicians in APM Entities, the APM Performance Pathway
will be available for both ACOs and non ACOs to submit quality data.
Due to data limitations and our inability to determine who would use
the APM Performance Pathway versus the traditional MIPS submission
mechanism for the CY 2022 performance period/2024 MIPS payment year, we
assume ACO APM Entities will submit data through the APM Performance
Pathway, using the CMS Web Interface option, and non-ACO APM Entities
would participate through traditional MIPS, thereby submitting as an
individual or group rather than as an entity. We are finalizing in the
CY 2022 PFS final rule
[[Page 72245]]
the policy to extend the CMS Web Interface measures as a quality
performance category collection type/submission type for the CY 2022
performance period/2024 MIPS payment year. We note that we are
finalizing to extend the CMS Web Interface as a collection type/
submission type for clinicians in Shared Savings Program reporting the
APM Performance Pathway through the CY 2024 performance period/2026
MIPS payment year. We are also finalized the sunsetting of the CMS Web
interface measures as a quality performance category collection type/
submission type starting with the CY 2023 performance period/2025 MIPS
payment year.
In the CY 2022 PFS final rule, we finalized to implement voluntary
MIPS Value Pathways (MVP) reporting for eligible clinicians beginning
with January 1 of the CY 2023 performance period/2025 MIPS payment
year. Beginning with the CY 2023 performance period/2025 MIPS payment
year, we also finalized voluntary subgroup reporting within MIPS
limited to eligible clinicians reporting through the MVPs or the APP.
For the Promoting Interoperability performance category, in the CY
2022 PFS final rule, we finalized that, beginning with the CY 2022
performance period/2024 MIPS payment year, eligible clinicians must
attest to conducting an annual assessment of the High Priority Guides
of the SAFER Guides beginning January 1 of CY 2022. We finalized to
automatically reweight the Promoting Interoperability for small
practices who previously had to apply for reweighting of this
performance category.
For the improvement activities performance category, beginning with
the CY 2022 Annual Call for MIPS improvement activities, we finalized
two new criteria for nomination of improvement activities. We are also
requesting to add three new ICRs that are currently with OMB for
approval: MVP registration, MVP quality submissions, and Subgroup
registration. The MVP registration reflects the burden associated with
the finalized registration process for clinicians reporting MVPs
beginning with the CY 2023 performance period/2025 MIPS payment year.
Subgroup registration reflects the burden associated with the finalized
registration process for subgroups reporting the MVPs. The MVP quality
submission reflects the decrease in burden associated with the
finalized MVP Inventory available for MIPS eligible clinicians. Form
Number: CMS-10621 (OMB control number: 0938-1314); Frequency: Annually;
Affected Public: Individuals or Households and Business or other for-
profit institutions; Number of Respondents: 239,813; Total Annual
Responses: 633,021; Total Annual Hours: 2,825,380. (For policy
questions regarding this collection contact Michelle Peterman at 410-
786-2591)
2. Type of Information Collection Request: Revision of a currently
approved collection; Title of Information Collection: Medicare
Prescription Drug Benefit Program; Use: Plan sponsor and State
information is used by CMS to approve contract applications, monitor
compliance with contract requirements, make proper payment to plans,
and ensure that correct information is disclosed to potential and
current enrollees. Form Number: CMS-10141 (OMB control number: 0938-
0964); Frequency: Annually; Affected Public: Private Sector and
Business or other for-profit institutions; Number of Respondents:
11,771,497; Total Annual Responses: 675,231,213; Total Annual Hours:
9,261,354. (For policy questions regarding this collection contact Chad
D. Buskirk at 410-786-1630)
3. Type of Information Collection Request: Revision of a currently
approved collection; Title of Information Collection: The PACE
Organization (PO) Monitoring and Audit Process in 42 CFR part 460; Use:
Sections 1894(e)(4) and 1934(e)(4) of the Act and the implementing
regulations at 42 CFR 460.190 and 460.192 state that CMS, in
conjunction with the State Administering Agency (SAA), must oversee a
PACE organization's continued compliance with the requirements for a
PACE organization.
The data collected with the data request tools included in this
package allow CMS to conduct a comprehensive review of PACE
organizations' compliance in accordance with specific federal
regulatory requirements. The information gathered during this audit
will be used by the Medicare Parts C and D Oversight and Enforcement
Group (MOEG) within the Center for Medicare (CM), as well as the SAA,
to assess POs' compliance with PACE program requirements. If outliers
or other data anomalies are detected, other offices within CMS will
work in collaboration with MOEG for follow-up and resolution.
Additionally, POs will receive the audit results, and will be required
to implement corrective action to correct any identified deficiencies.
Form Number: CMS-10630 (OMB control number: 0938-1327); Frequency:
Annually; Affected Public: Private Sector, State, Local, or Tribal
Governments and Business or other for-profit institutions; Number of
Respondents: 40; Total Annual Responses: 40; Total Annual Hours:
31,200. (For policy questions regarding this collection contact
Kathleen Flannery at 410-786-6722).
Dated: December 16, 2021.
William N. Parham, III,
Director, Paperwork Reduction Staff, Office of Strategic Operations and
Regulatory Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2021-27603 Filed 12-20-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-01-P
</pre></body>
</html>Indexed from Federal Register on December 21, 2021.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.