The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is planning to (1) assess beneficiary readiness to engage in community-based wellness and prevention activities and (2) evaluate the impacts of existing wellness programs on the health and wellbeing of participating beneficiaries and on potential cost outcomes for the Medicare program. This effort is a critical component of a larger, ongoing evaluation of wellness programs mandated by Congress in the Affordable Care Act (ACA). In Section 4202, subsection (b) of the ACA, Congress mandated that CMS conduct an evidence review and independent evaluation of wellness programs.
This evaluation effort will 1) describe the overall distribution of readiness to engage with wellness programs in the Medicare population, 2) better adjust for selection biases of individual programs and interventions using beneficiary level survey data, 3) evaluate program impacts on health behaviors, self-reported health outcomes, and claims-based measures of utilization and costs, and 4) better describe program implementation, operations and cost in relation to the expected benefits.
The number of completed Participant baseline surveys has been revised based on new information about expected response rate for on-site survey delivery. The number of completed Participant 6-month followup and Disenrollee surveys has been revised based on a change in the operational design.
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.