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 information technology to minimize the information collection burden.

DATES:

Comments must be received by August 12, 2024.

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 http://www.regulations.gov. 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: https://www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance/Legislation/PaperworkReductionActof1995/PRA-Listing .

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-287-22 Home Office Cost Statement

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 without change of a previously approved collection; Title of Information Collection: Home Office Cost Statement; Use: A home office/chain organization (HO/CO) submits the home office cost statement annually as the documentary support required for a provider that is a member of the HO/CO to be reimbursed for HO/CO costs claimed in the provider's cost report (see 42 CFR 413.24(f)(5)(i)(E)(1) and (2)).

The relationship of the HO/CO is that of a related organization to a provider (see 42 CFR 413.17). A HO/CO usually furnishes central management and administrative services, e.g., centralized accounting, purchasing, personnel services, management direction and control, and other services. To the extent that the HO/CO furnishes services related to patient care to a provider, the reasonable costs of such services are included in the provider's cost report and are reimbursable as part of the provider's costs.

CMS requires the form to determine a HO/CO's reasonable cost incurred in furnishing management and administrative services to Medicare providers, each of which includes the costs in their cost report for reimbursement. A Medicare-certified provider includes costs allocated from the home office cost statement in the provider's costs used by CMS for rate setting; payment refinement activities, including developing a market basket; and Medicare Trust Fund projections; and to support program operations. Additionally, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) uses the cost report data to calculate Medicare margins (a measure of the relationship between Medicare's payments and providers' Medicare costs) and analyze data to formulate Medicare Program recommendations to Congress. Form Number: CMS-287-22 (OMB control number: 0938-0202); Frequency: Yearly; Affected Public: Private Sector; Business or other for-profits, Not-for-profit institutions; Number of Respondents: 1,646; Total Annual Responses: 1,646; Total Annual Hours: 767,036. (For policy questions regarding this collection contact Gail S. Duncan at (410) 786-7278.)