Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request

AGENCY:

Health Care Financing Administration, DHHS. 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, 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.

Type of Information Request: Extension of a currently approved collection; Title of Information Collection: Medicare Consumer Assessment Survey of Health Plan Survey (CAHPS)—Fee for Service; HCFA Form Number: HCFA-10000 (OMB approval #: 0938-0796); Use: Under the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, HCFA is required to provide general and plan comparative information to beneficiaries that will help them make more informed health plan choices. A CAHPS fee for service survey is needed to provide information comparable to those data collected from the CAHPS managed care survey; Frequency: Annually; Affected Public: Individuals or households; Number of Respondents: 168,000; Total Annual Responses: 134,400; Total Annual Burden Hours: 44,800.

To obtain copies of the supporting statement and any related forms for the proposed paperwork collections referenced above, access HCFA's Web Site address at http://www.hcfa.gov/regs/prdact95.htm,, or E-mail your request, including your address, phone number, OMB number, and HCFA document identifier, to Paperwork@hcfa.gov, or call the Reports Clearance Office on (410) 786-1326. Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information collections must be mailed within 60 days of this notice directly to the HCFA Paperwork Clearance Officer designated at the following address: HCFA, Office of Information Services, Security and Standards Group, Division of HCFA Enterprise Standards, Attention: Julie Brown, Room N2-14-26, 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, Maryland 21244-1850.