Notice2026-18649
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
September 14, 2026
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 (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 91 Issue 176 (Monday, September 14, 2026)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 176 (Monday, September 14, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58125-58127]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-18649]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
[Document Identifiers: CMS-10968, CMS-R-235 and CMS-10391]
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 (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
[[Page 58126]]
information technology to minimize the information collection burden.
DATES: Comments must be received by November 13, 2026.
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, please access
the CMS PRA website by copying and pasting the following web address
into your web browser: <a href="https://www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance/Legislation/PaperworkReductionActof1995/PRA-Listing">https://www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance/Legislation/PaperworkReductionActof1995/PRA-Listing</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).
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 Collections
1. Type of Information Collection Request: New collection (Request
for a new OMB control number); Title of Information Collection:
Provider Experience of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
(CMS) Quality Innovation Network-Quality Improvement Organization (QIN-
QIO) Program; Use: The purpose of this Information Collection Request
(ICR) is to gather survey data to support the program evaluation of the
CMS QIN-QIO Quality Improvement program. The CMS QIN-QIO Quality
Improvement program advances quality improvement efforts across
healthcare settings to maximize impact and deliver value to taxpayers
in alignment with CMS and Department of Health & Human Services (HHS)
priorities. Through QIN-QIO 13th Statement of Work (SOW), CMS has
engaged six QIN-QIO contractors to improve healthcare quality for
Medicare beneficiaries by enhancing health outcomes, patient safety,
and the overall quality of care.
QIN-QIO contractors provide technical assistance (TA) to CMS
identified nursing homes, hospitals, and outpatient clinical practices,
helping strengthen quality management infrastructure and improve
healthcare quality and safety for Medicare beneficiaries. They support
providers and target populations by implementing evidence-based,
tailored quality improvement strategies that address a range of
operational and performance challenges. This survey collects data
pertaining to assistance provided by the QIN-QIO contractors to these
providers. This survey provides an independent assessment of these
services, providing program management with information to improve
services to the provider community in support of Medicare
beneficiaries.
CMS evaluates the quality and effectiveness of the QIN-QIO program
as authorized in Part B of Title XI of the Social Security Act. This
ICR is to conduct data collection using surveys with administrators or
quality improvement directors of nursing homes, hospitals, and
clinicians in outpatient clinical practice settings. Form Number: CMS-
10968 (OMB control number: 0938-NEW); Frequency: Annually; Affected
Public: Private Sector--Not-for-profit institutions and Business or
other for-profits; Number of Respondents: 1,500; Total Annual
Responses: 1,500; Total Annual Hours: 501. (For policy questions
regarding this collection contact Jeff Mokry at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#eda7888b8bc3a082869f94ad8e809ec385859ec38a829b"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="a8e2cdcece86e5c7c3dad1e8cbc5db86c0c0db86cfc7de">[email protected]</span></a>.)
2. Type of Information Collection Request: Revision of a currently
approved collection; Title of Information Collection: Use Agreement
(DUA) Limited Data Set (LDS) Forms Research Identifiable Files (RIF)
Forms; Use: The Privacy Act of 1974, Sec. 552a requires the Centers
for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to track all disclosures of the
agency's Personally Identifiable Information (PII). CMS is also
required by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
(HIPAA) of 1996 and the Federal Information Security Management Act
(FISMA) of 2002 to properly protect all Protected Health Information
(PHI) data maintained by the agency and account for the disclosure of
PHI. When entities, such as academic, federal or state agency
researchers request CMS PII/PHI data, they enter into a Data Use
Agreement (DUA) with CMS. The DUA stipulates that the recipient of CMS
data must properly protect the data according to all applicable data
security standards and provide for its appropriate destruction at the
completion of the project/study or the expiration date of the DUA. The
DUA form enables the data recipient and CMS to document the request and
approval for release of CMS data. Form Number: CMS-R-235 (OMB control
number: 0938-0734); Frequency: Annually; Affected Public: Private
Sector, State, Local or Tribal Government, Not-for-profit institutions
and Business or other for-profits; Number of Respondents: 5,250; Total
Annual Responses: 5,250; Total Annual Hours: 3,667.5. (For policy
questions regarding this collection contact James Krometis at (410)
786-0340.)
3. Type of Information Collection Request: Extension of a currently
approved collection; Title of Information Collection: Methods for
Assuring Access to Covered Medicaid Services Under 42 CFR 447.203 and
447.204; Use: Sections 447.203 and 447.204 require that states:
``assure that payments are consistent with efficiency, economy, and
quality of care and are sufficient to enlist enough providers so that
care and services are available under the plan at least to the extent
that such care and services are available to the general population in
the geographic area.'' The information is used by states to: document
that access to care is in compliance with section 1902(a)(30)(A) of the
Social Security Act, identify issues with access within a state's
Medicaid program, and inform any necessary programmatic changes to
[[Page 58127]]
address issues with access to care. CMS will use the information to
monitor ongoing compliance with section 1902(a)(30)(A) of the Social
Security Act, and to make informed approval decisions on State plan
amendments that propose to make Medicaid rate reductions or restructure
payment rates. Beneficiaries, providers, and other affected
stakeholders may use the information to raise access issues to state
Medicaid agencies and work with agencies to address those issues. Form
Number: CMS-10391 (OMB control number: 0938-1134); Frequency: Annually;
Affected Public: State, Local, or Tribal Governments; Number of
Respondents: 51; Total Annual Responses: 346; Total Annual Hours:
15,305. (For questions regarding this collection contact Jocelyn Velez
at 410-786-2367.)
William N. Parham, III,
Director, Division of Information Collections and Regulatory Impacts,
Office of Strategic Operations and Regulatory Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2026-18649 Filed 9-11-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4169-69-P
</pre><script data-cfasync="false" src="/cdn-cgi/scripts/5c5dd728/cloudflare-static/email-decode.min.js"></script></body>
</html>Indexed from Federal Register on September 14, 2026.
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.