It is not enough to merely mail
information about the Medicare program to each beneficiary. We need
to know not only that the beneficiaries got the information, but
also that they understood the information and are able to use it in
making choices about their Medicare participation. To this end, CMS
must have measure(s) over time of what beneficiaries know and
understand about the Medicare program now to be able to quantify
and attribute any changes to their understanding or behavior to
information/education initiatives. Measuring beneficiary
information needs and knowledge over time will help us to evaluate
the impact of information/education and other initiatives as well
as to understand how the population is changing apart from such
initiatives.
The objective of this research
is to assess the degree to which people with Medicare actively
participate in their own health and health care decisions and
secondly to identify the various segments of 'self-directed patient
activation' necessary to be able to tailor outreach messages to
appropriate segments of the Medicare population.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.