The proposed physician focus groups
are part of the evaluation of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
Services (CMS)'s Medicare Physician Hospital Collaboration
Demonstration. The Congress, under Section 646 of the Medicare
Modernization Act (MMA) of 2003 permitted CMS to conduct
demonstrations to test methods for the provision of incentives for
improving the quality and safety of care and achieving the
efficient allocation of resources. The primary goal of the
demonstration is to evaluate gainsharing as means to align
physician and hospital incentives to improve quality and
efficiency. This demonstration plans to use the physician focus
group protocols approved by OMB for the DRA 5007 Gainsharing
Demonstration (OCN 0938-1103).
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.