DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
[Document Identifier: CMS–10243]
Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review; 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), 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 function; (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:
New collection;
Title of Information Collection:
Data Collection for Administering the Medicare Continuity Assessment Record and Evaluation (CARE) Instrument;
Use:
The Medicare Continuity Assessment Record and Evaluation (CARE) is a uniform patient assessment instrument designed to measure differences in patient severity, resource utilization, and outcomes for patients in acute and post-acute care settings. This tool will be used to (1) standardize program information on Medicare beneficiaries' acuity at discharge from acute hospitals, (2) document medical severity,
functional status and other factors related to outcomes and resource utilization at admission, discharge, and interim times during post acute treatment, and (3) understand the relationship between severity of illness, functional status, social support factors, and resource utilization. The CARE instrument will be used in the Post-Acute Care (PAC) Payment Reform Demonstration program mandated by Section 5008 of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 to develop payment groups that reflect patient severity and related cost and resource use across post acute settings. Specifically, the data collected using the CARE instrument during the Post-Acute Care Payment Demonstration will be used by CMS to develop a setting neutral post-acute care payment model as mandated by the Congress. The data will be used to characterize patient severity of illness and level of function in order to predict resource use, post-acute care discharge placement, and beneficiary outcomes. CMS will use the data from the CARE instrument to examine the degree to which the items on the instrument can be used to predict beneficiary resource use and outcomes.
CMS made over 150 changes and improvements to the CARE instrument following the 60 day public comment period. Many revisions were minor word changes or clarifications to item-coding instructions. A significant number of changes were made to delete unnecessary items and to add skip patterns to allow respondents to skip over items/sections that do not apply to a particular condition. The revised version of CARE retains its clinical integrity while allowing for greater response specificity.
Form Number:
CMS–10243 (OMB#: 0938–NEW);
Frequency:
Reporting—Daily;
Affected Public:
Private Sector—Business or other for-profit and Not-for-profit institutions;
Number of Respondents:
388;
Total Annual Responses:
244,292;
Total Annual Hours:
179,341.
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 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 by the OMB desk officer at the address below, no later than 5 p.m. on
December 10, 2007.
OMB Human Resources and Housing Branch, Attention: Carolyn Lovett, New Executive Office Building, Room 10235, Washington, DC 20503, Fax Number: (202) 395–6974.
Dated: November 2, 2007.
Michelle Shortt,
Director, Regulations Development Group, Office of Strategic Operations and Regulatory Affairs.