Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request

AGENCY:

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

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: Extension of a currently approved collection; Title of Information Collection: Skilled Nursing Facility Resident Assessment MDS Data and Supporting Regulations in 42 CFR 413.337, 413.343, 424.32, and 483.20; Form Number: CMS-R-250 (OMB#: 0938-0739); Use: Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs) are required to submit the resident assessment data as described at 42 CFR 483.20 in the manner necessary to administer the payment rate methodology described in 42 CFR 413.337. Pursuant to sections 4204(b) and 4214(d) of Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (OBRA) 1987, the current requirements related to the submission and retention of resident assessment data for the 5th, 30th, 60th and 90th days following admission, necessary to administer the payment rate methodology described in 42 CFR 413.337, are subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act. The burden associated with information collection is the sum of the SNF staff time required to complete the Minimum Data Set (MDS), SNF staff time to encode the data, and SNF staff time spent in transmitting the data.; Frequency: Reporting—Other, 5th, 14th, 30th, 60th, and 90th days of stay; Affected Public: Business or other for-profit, Not-for-profit institutions; Number of Respondents: 15,352; Total Annual Responses: 4,719,118; Total Annual Hours: 3,284,247.

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/regulations/pra/,, or E-mail 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.

To be assured consideration, comments and recommendations for the proposed information collections must be received at the address below, no later than 5 p.m. on March 7, 2006.

CMS, Office of Strategic Operations and Regulatory Affairs, Division of Regulations Development—B, Attention: William N. Parham, III, Room C4-26-05, 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, Maryland 21244-1850.