Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

AGENCY:

Centers for Medicare and 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 and Medicaid Services (CMS) (formerly known as 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 Collection Request: Reinstatement, without change, of a previously approved collection for which approval has expired; Title of Information Collection: Durable Medical Equipment Regional Carrier, Certificate of Medical Necessity; Form No.: CMS-841, 842, 844-853 (OMB# 0938-0679); Use: This information is needed to correctly process claims and ensure that claims are properly paid. These forms contain medical information necessary to make an appropriate claim determination. Suppliers and physicians will complete these forms. Frequency: Record Keeping and reporting on occasion; Affected Public: Business or other for-profit, not-for-profit institutions, Federal Government; Number of Respondents: 137,300; Total Annual Responses: 6.7 million; Total Annual Hours: 1.13 million.

This Federal Register r notice does not include the CMS-843 collection. The 60-day Federal Register notice for all of the CMNs was published on March 4, 2002, Volume 67, Number 42, Page 9741-9743. We will be publishing the 30-day Federal Register notice for the CMS-843 (power wheelchair) collection separately due to the public comments we received.

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.hcfa.gov/regs/prdact95.htm,, or e-mail your request, including your address, phone number, OMB number, and CMS 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 30 days of this notice directly to the OMB desk officer:

OMB Human Resources and Housing Branch, Attention: Brenda Aguilar, New Executive Office Building, Room 10235, Washington, DC 20503.