Overview
Title
Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Generic Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request
Agencies
ELI5 AI
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services wants people to tell them what they think about a new, easier way to ask for information that won’t take much time or be complicated. They want to make sure they're doing it in the best way, and people can tell them what they think until December 27, 2024.
Summary AI
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), part of the Health and Human Services Department, is seeking public comments on a new information collection process to ease administrative burdens. This notice explains how agencies can quickly obtain approval for voluntary, low-burden information requests through a "generic" clearance process provided by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). CMS encourages feedback on their proposed collections to improve their efficiency and accuracy. Public comments are due by December 27, 2024, and can be submitted electronically or by mail.
Abstract
On May 28, 2010, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) guidance related to the "generic" clearance process. Generally, this is an expedited process by which agencies may obtain OMB's approval of collection of information requests that are "usually voluntary, low-burden, and uncontroversial collections," do not raise any substantive or policy issues, and do not require policy or methodological review. The process requires the submission of an overarching plan that defines the scope of the individual collections that would fall under its umbrella. This Federal Register notice seeks public comment on one or more of our collection of information requests that we believe are generic and fall within the scope of the umbrella. Interested persons are invited to submit 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.
Keywords AI
Sources
AnalysisAI
The recent notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published in the Federal Register outlines a proposal regarding information collection activities. The notice introduces the concept of a "generic" clearance process that aims to expedite the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval of certain information collection requests. These requests are characterized as voluntary, low-burden, and uncontroversial, typically not needing substantial policy or methodological reviews. CMS is seeking public comments on these proposed collections to enhance their relevance and accuracy.
Summary of the Notice
The CMS is proposing a shift in how it handles certain information collection requests, moving them under a "generic" umbrella in order to streamline the process and reduce administrative burdens. Public input is solicited to ensure the accuracy of burden estimates and to explore how the process might be improved, especially with regard to using automated techniques. Remarks can be submitted digitally via regulations.gov or through regular mail by the deadline of December 27, 2024.
Significant Issues and Concerns
One key concern with this document is the use of the term "generic" in reference to information requests without thoroughly explaining what factors distinguish a request as generic versus non-generic. This could leave readers uncertain about the criteria involved. Moreover, while the notice outlines how to submit comments, it could benefit from clearer guidance on locating specific documents on regulations.gov, especially for those less familiar with the platform.
Further, the rationale behind shifting certain non-generic collections to the generic category lacks explicit detail. These gaps might cause confusion among stakeholders about how this change will alter existing processes. Additionally, the document doesn't explicitly elaborate on how the proposed information collections support the agency's role, which could be valuable information for the public.
Impact on the Public and Specific Stakeholders
For the general public, the proposed shift to a generic clearance process signifies a potential easing of administrative procedures which could lead to more efficient governmental operations. However, without a full understanding of how these changes enhance CMS functions or reduce burdens, the public might find it challenging to appreciate the benefits fully.
Specific stakeholders, such as State, Local, or Tribal Governments that interact directly with CMS, might experience altered reporting or compliance expectations. This could be positive if it results in decreased paperwork and more streamlined processes, but there also could be negative implications if the transitions between generic and non-generic classifications disrupt current workflows.
Overall, while the initiative aims to simplify and make information collections more efficient, clarity and detailed exposition in the initial proposal are necessary to ensure broad understanding and support from all affected parties.
Issues
• The document uses the term 'generic' in relation to information collection requests without fully explaining what makes a collection request 'generic' versus 'non-generic,' which might be unclear to some readers.
• The process of submitting comments is addressed but could benefit from additional clarity on how to effectively find the document on regulations.gov for those less familiar with the platform.
• The justification for moving certain collections under the generic umbrella lacks detailed explanation, potentially leaving readers uncertain about the implications of this change.
• The notice does not include a clear explanation of how the proposed information collections specifically support the proper performance of the agency's functions, which might be beneficial for public understanding.
• The document uses technical language and acronyms (e.g., PACE SPA, OMB, CMS) that may not be easily understood by all readers without background knowledge or additional explanation.