CMS-R-268-SupportStmt-A-042214

Supporting Statement – Part A
Collection of Assessment Information
The purpose of this submission is to request permission 0938-0756 (CMS-R-268) to continue to
collect information from Internet users as they exit from the websites Medicare.gov and
CMS.gov. The websites, developed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS),
went live on September 13, 2001. These websites were produced in accordance with the
administration's goal of providing better customer service to all constituents. The underlying
principle of each site is to have a single unified Internet presence for the Agency that contains
authoritative, accurate, and up-to-date information for the intended audience.
It is critical for the Agency to obtain feedback from users of the websites so that the Agency can
continually revise the sites to respond to the needs of its users. As part of our efforts to
determine how these websites can best serve our audiences, we are requesting approval from
OMB for an Internet survey tool. Internet users will fill out a satisfaction survey after visiting
either the Medicare.gov or CMS.gov website. The results will be compiled and studied so that
future revisions to the websites can be guided by the needs and preferences of the people who
use those websites.
We are requesting a three-year clearance so that the feedback received through the survey can be
used continually to update and improve the sites. The purpose of this submission is to request
OMB authorization to collect information from users of these sites via a survey tool. This
package contains the data collection instrument and information supporting its use for
Medicare.gov (primarily for beneficiaries) and CMS.gov (for a broad audience of stakeholders).
Each survey has the following objectives:
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Assess the key components of these sites, specifically: site content, navigability,
functionality, appearance, interactivity, and privacy policy.
Employ a methodology capable of identifying the drivers of visitor satisfaction and
loyalty, isolating specific site features where changes will yield the greatest
improvements.
Serve visitors using assistive technologies, such as screen readers, and visitors who are
not JavaScript enabled.
Meet Section 508 ADA compliance regulations.

A. Background
These websites provide the following topics for their users:

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CMS.gov (http://www.cms.gov)

Medicare
Medicare – General Information
Appeals & Grievances
Billing
CMS Forms
Coding
Coordination of Benefits
Coverage
Demonstration Projects
E-Health
Eligibility and Enrollment
End-Stage Renal Disease
Fraud & Abuse
Health Plans
Medicare Advantage
Medicare Contracting
Medicare Fee-for-Service Part B Drugs
Medicare Fee-for-Service Payment
Medicare Secondary Payment Recovery
Prescription Drug Coverage
Prevention
Provider Enrollment & Certification
Quality Initiatives/Patient Assessment Instruments
Transplantation
Medicaid
Medicaid – General Information
Medicaid Coding
Medicaid Consumer Enrollment & Coverage
Medicaid Initiatives
Medicaid Integrity Program
Medicaid Prescription Drugs
Medicaid Quality Initiatives
Medicaid Waiver & Demonstration Projects
Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA) of 2009
CHIP Dental Coverage
Low-Cost Health Insurance for Families & Children
National CHIP Policy

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About CMS
Agency Information
Career Information
Contracting with CMS
Legislative Affairs
Public Affairs
Regulations & Guidance
Guidance (e.g., manuals, transmittals)
Health Insurance Reform
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA)
Legislation (Freedom of Information Act [FOIA] and other legislation)
Regulations & Policies (e.g., quarterly provider updates)
Review Boards
Research, Statistics, Data, & Systems
CMS Information Technology
Computer Data & Systems
Files for Order
Monitoring Programs
Research
Statistics, Trends, & Reports
Outreach & Education
American Indian/Alaska Native
Medicare Learning Network
Outreach (e.g., Partner with CMS)
Training
Resources & Tools
Sitewide Tools and Resources (e.g., Frequently Asked Questions, CMS Events & Calendar,
Mailing Lists)
Medicare Tools (Medicare Coverage Database, Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Lookup)
Medicaid Tools (e.g., FirstStep)
Browse by Special Topic
American Indian/Alaska Native Center
End-Stage Renal Disease (EDRD) Center
Health Reform Center
Legislative Affairs Center
Medicare Coverage Center
Newsroom Center
Ombudsman Center
Open Enrollment Center
Partnering with CMS Center
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People with Medicare & Medicaid Center
Privacy Center
Quality of Care Center
People with Medicare & Medicaid Center (quick reference toolbar)
Spotlight
Tools to Help Get Answers about Medicare
 Compare Medicare Prescription Drug Plans
 Find out What Medicare Covers
 Compare Health Plan Options
 Compare Nursing Homes
 Compare Dialysis Facilities
Information about Medicaid
 Medicaid Program – General Information
 Medicaid-At-a-Glance
 Medicaid State Waiver Program Demonstration Projects
Military Retiree Benefits
 Medicare Part B Enrollment for People with Medicare Who Are Eligible for
TRICARE
Eligibility & Enrollment
 Find Out if You Are Eligible and When You Can Enroll
 View and Enroll in a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan
Medicare Fraud
 How to Report Fraud & Abuse
Publications
 Read or Print a Medicare Publication
Questions (quick reference toolbar)
This web page provides answers to frequently asked questions about CMS and its programs,
and provides a search box that enables readers to find answers to specific questions.
Careers at CMS (quick reference toolbar)
Overview
Special Hiring Programs
Positions at CMS
Employee Benefits
Locations & Facilities
Newsroom (quick reference toolbar)
Spotlight (press releases)
News (about CMS programs and initiatives)
Important Links
 Media Releases
 Outreach
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
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Contacts (i.e., press office contacts, press resources and links, speech and meeting
requests)
Podcasts
Multimedia/Logos
Tools (e.g., CMS press mailing list, conference registration tool, CMS forms)
Helpful Links (i.e., HHS press archive, White House news and policies, Social
Security Press Office)

Contact CMS (quick reference toolbar)
This web page provides a list of contact phone numbers and web links to help people find
answers to their Medicare questions or program issues.
Acronym Lookup (quick reference toolbar)
This web page explains acronyms found on the http://www.cms.gov website and other
acronyms that are commonly used. Readers are instructed to select a letter of the alphabet in
the lookup tool to view the list of acronyms that begins with that letter.
Help (quick reference toolbar)
About This Website
Website Awards
CMS Contractor Website Guidelines
CMS.gov E-mail Updates
CMS.gov E-mail Updates List
Web Policies & Important Links
 Section 508 – Policies for Accessibility
 Overview
 Privacy Policy
 Freedom of Information Act
 No Fear Act
 Policy for Linking to Outside Websites
 Information Quality Guidelines
 Security Protocols to Protect Information

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Medicare.gov (http://www.medicare.gov)

Home page:
New to Medicare? Getting Started
Are You a New Beneficiary?
Find Out if You’re Eligible
Choosing or Changing Your Coverage?
Medicare & You 2011 Handbook
Apply Online for Medicare Now
Health & Drug Plans: Finding Plans
Compare Drug and Health Plans
Compare Medigap Policies
Enroll Now
Coverage Gap Information
Formulary Finder – 2011 Plan Data
Check Your Enrollment
Facilities & Doctors
Find a Doctor
Compare Hospitals
Compare Nursing Homes
Compare Home Health Agencies
Plan for Your Long-Term Care Needs
Find Suppliers of Medical Equipment
MyMedicare.gov
(“Secure access to personalized information regarding your Medicare benefits and services.”)
MyMedicare.gov Overview
MyMedicare.gov Virtual Tour
On the Go Report
Manage Your Health page:
Preventive Services
Physical Exams (Covered by Medicare)
Flu Shots (Flu Information)
Preventive Services Checklist
MyMedicare.gov
Personal Health Records (PHR)

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Medicare Basics page:
Medicare Basics
Part A
Part B
Part C
Part D
Coverage Choices
Other Insurances
Eligibility & Enrollment
Understanding Claims
Help with Medical and Drug Costs
Resource Locator page:
Resource Locator
Drug and Health Plans
Medigap Policies
Doctors
Hospitals
Formulary Finder
Long-Term Care Planning
Home Health Agencies
Your Medicare Coverage
Nursing Homes
Medical Equipment Suppliers
Dialysis Facilities
Medicare & You 2011 Handbook
Forms
Publications
Information in Other Languages
Help & Support page:
Help & Support
Contact Medicare
A-Z Index
Frequently Asked Questions
Useful Phone Numbers & Websites
Glossary
Order a New Card
Change Your Address
Caregiver Resources
Downloadable Databases
Filing a Complaint or Grievance
Ombudsman
Fraud & Abuse
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MyMedicare.gov Help
Other features on the Home page:
What’s New?
Links to the latest news about Medicare.
Stay Healthy
Links to highlights and information about Medicare services (e.g., flu shots, “Welcome to
Medicare” physical exam)
Control Your Health Information
Links to the “Download My Data” web tool, which enables readers to download their
personal health information to their computer.
Medicare Benefits (quick links box)
Provides direct links to the Medicare Part A, Part B, Part C, and Part D information pages that
are found under “Medicare Basics” described above. This box provides an alternate way for
readers to navigate to these pages.
Get Ready for Open Enrollment
Links to information about the Open Enrollment Season and how to choose a Medicare plan.
It also includes information on how to save money on medical and drug costs, how the new
health care law affects Medicare coverage, and where to get personalized help.
MyMedicare.gov (log-on tool)
Secure Sign-In
Create an Account
Learn More
Need Help? (quick reference box)
Contact Medicare
Get Financial Help
Appeal a Claim
Get Your Medicare Questions Answered
Have a Complaint About Your Care?
Ombudsman
Stop Medicare Fraud (link box to http://www.StopMedicareFraud.com)
This box links readers directly to the StopMedicare.gov website.
HHS.GOV/Recovery link
This link takes readers directly to the HHS.GOV/Recovery website
(http://www.hhs.gov/recovery). The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 was
created to jumpstart the economy, create or save millions of jobs, and put a down payment on
addressing long-neglected challenges so the United States can thrive in the 21st century. This
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website describes and gives a financial accounting of the health and human service Recovery
Act contracts, grants, and programs implemented and managed by HHS.
Footer links on this website:
Join Our E-mail List
Links readers to page where they can sign up for e-mail updates or access their subscriber
preferences.
Español (Spanish)
Links Spanish speaking readers to the Spanish version of this website.
FOIA
Links readers to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) page on the CMS.gov website.
No Fear Act
Links readers to the No Fear Act (whistleblower protection) page on the CMS.gov website.
CMS.gov
Links readers to the CMS.gov home page (http://www.cms.gov).
HHS.gov
Links readers to the HHS.gov home page (http://www.hhs.gov).
USA.gov
Links readers to the USA.gov “Government Made Easy” home page (http://www.usa.gov).
Privacy Policy
Links readers to the CMS Privacy Policy page on the CMS.gov website.
Website Feedback
Links readers to a web page where they can find answers to frequently asked questions or
submit website comments/questions to the Medicare.gov support team.
CMS Contact Info
This link provides an alternate way for readers to navigate to Contact Medicare information
page found under the Help & Support page described above.

Website Survey Tool
These surveys help us conduct generic continuous quality improvement by obtaining feedback
from site visitors and identifying areas needing refinement. Currently, Medicare.gov is a portalbased website and CMS.gov is a text-based website. There will be ongoing changes to both
websites, including movement toward a portal-based website for CMS.gov to better serve our
customers.
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Users can complete the survey before they exit either site and can access the survey via a link on
the bottom bar on the pages. The survey contains questions about the information that visitors
are seeking from the sites, the degree to which a site was useful to them, the improvements that
they would like to see to the sites, and their general comments and satisfaction with the sites.
B. Justification
1. Need and Legal Basis:
The Balanced Budget Act of 1997 states that the Secretary of Health and Human Services
shall maintain a website to provide information about CMS activities, programs and topics
related to its services. The present request is for OMB authorization to collect data on the
reactions of users of the websites through the survey tool. We will use the data to improve
the websites so that they can best serve the needs of their users.
2. Information Users:
The purpose of the survey tool is to provide feedback to CMS, which sponsors the websites.
The information collected through the survey tool will be used in conjunction with other
feedback received. The combined information will guide future improvements to the sites’
content and navigation through their pages. There is no plan to disseminate the information
publically. Information collected from the survey will be used to make improvements to the
sites to make them more user friendly.
3. Use of Information Technology:
A web survey is the most effective way to receive quick and accurate feedback from users of
these websites. The survey tool is in compliance with Section 508 of the Americans with
Disabilities Act. The survey will be in text format. It will be located directly on the
websites. For most questions, the respondents will be able to select the checkbox that
represents their response. For any open ended questions, the respondents will be able to type
their responses in the space provided. We have attempted to keep the format of the questions
as simple as possible, since multi-part or scaled questions often appear confusing when
presented on the Internet. To reduce user burden, we are including mostly multiple-choice
questions. Since the evaluation will be conducted electronically through the Medicare.gov
and CMS.gov websites, there is no paperwork burden. This survey will not require a
signature from respondents.
4. Duplication Efforts:
This information collection does not duplicate any other effort, and the information cannot be
obtained from any other source.

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5. Small Business:
There is no burden on small businesses. Users of the websites will be able to respond
voluntarily to the survey tool.
6. Less Frequent Collection:
The survey will be available for approximately 30 days each year for three years. The
message that invites users to answer the survey will say that the users should not complete
the survey more than once in the last 30 days. Our hope is to observe the users’ opinions
over time, as their information needs change and as the sites themselves change. This allows
for more people to provide information for quality improvement.
7. Special Circumstances:
There are no special circumstances with this information collection package. Information
collection will not be conducted in a manner:


requiring respondents to prepare a written response to a collection of information in
fewer than 30 days after receipt of it;



requiring respondents to submit more than an original and two copies of any
document;



requiring respondents to retain records, other than health, medical, government
contract, grant-in-aid, or tax records for more than three years;



in connection with a statistical survey, that is not designed to produce valid and
reliable results that can be generalized to the universe of study;



requiring the use of a statistical classification that has not been reviewed and
approved by OMB;

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that includes a pledge of confidentiality which is not supported by authority
established in statute or regulation, which is not supported by disclosure and data
security policies that are consistent with the pledge, or which unnecessarily impedes
sharing of data with other agencies for compatible confidential use; or



requiring respondents to submit proprietary trade secrets, or other confidential
information unless the agency can demonstrate that it has instituted procedures to
protect the information’s confidentiality to the extent permitted by law.

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8. Federal Register/Outside Consultation:
The 60-day Federal Register notice for this collection published [MONTH DAY, 2014].
The 30-day Federal Register notice published on [MONTH DAY, 2014].
9. Payments/Gifts to Respondents:
There are no provisions for payments or gifts to respondents on either the Medicare.gov site
or the CMS.gov site.
10. Confidentiality:
Assurance of confidentiality for Internet users responding to the survey tool will be made on
the basis of the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended (45 CFR 5b).
User confidentiality will be assured by adherence to Section 903(d) of the Public Health
Service Act (42 USC 299 a-1[c]) as follows:


All information obtained through the survey will be reported in aggregate. No
information will be published or released in other forms if the person who supplied
the information or who is described in it is identifiable unless such person has
consented (as determined under regulations of the Secretary) to its publication or
release.

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There will be no cookies set on any computer as part of this information collection
effort.

11. Sensitive Questions:
We have avoided any questions that could be considered sensitive, such as questions about
religious beliefs, illegal activities, alcohol consumption, sexual orientation, or health risk
behaviors. There is no requirement to answer questions. The survey tool will offer a refusal
option, such as a “don’t know/don’t wish to answer” and the respondent may continue with
the survey. Respondents will not be asked for their names or addresses.
12. Burden Estimates (Hours & Wages):
The purpose of the survey tool is to obtain feedback so the provider of these sites can
determine how to revise the websites.
The survey will take a number of steps to promote a high response rate to the Medicare.gov
and CMS.gov website evaluation. These steps include:

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

Creating a pop-up invitation that mirrors the look and feel of each website, thereby
assuring respondents of the legitimacy of the invitation and avoiding confusion with
commercial advertisements.



Crafting an invitation with a compelling message, emphasizing the importance of
participation and stressing the role of site visitors in determining the design and
content of these sites.

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Making it easy to complete the survey by providing a simple click-through interface.

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Keeping the survey short (about 10 minutes) to minimize burden.

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Assuring the confidentiality of responses.

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Providing a link to a full description of the survey, its sponsorship, and purpose.



Offering respondent support through a clickable e-mail address and a toll-free
telephone number.

It is our contractor’s experience that these steps will create stronger trust among respondents
and thereby promote a higher response rate than with standard intercepts.
We estimate that 7,000 respondents per year will answer the survey. The survey will be
available for approximately 30 days for each of three years. We also estimate that the survey
will take about 10 minutes to complete. Therefore, the total time of 1,167 hours will be spent
per year completing this survey. There will be an option when the survey appears on screen,
which says, “I do not wish to take this survey at this time.”
13. Capital Costs:
The annualized cost is negligible. The survey tool will be placed on the existing
Medicare.gov and CMS.gov websites. The responses to the form will go into a database that
can be analyzed by the contractor.
14. Cost to Federal Government:
The cost of putting this form on the websites and collecting the information are negligible,
since the websites are already operational.
15. Changes to Burden:
There have been no changes to the burden since the OMB submission. However, minor
clarifying edits have been made to the questions in the survey, in compliance with the Plain
Language Act of 2010. In addition, the descriptions of medicare.gov and cms.gov have been
updated to reflect changes made to the websites since the last OMB submission.
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16. Publication/Tabulation Dates:
The information will be tabulated and analyzed to inform future changes to the websites.
There are no publication dates.
17. Expiration Date:
CMS would like an exemption from displaying the expiration date as these forms are used on
a continuing basis. To include an expiration date would result in having to discard a
potentially large number of forms.
18. Certification Statement:
The proposed data collection does not involve any exceptions to the certification statement
identified in line 19 of OMB form 83-I.

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