In order to provide health benefits to
Medicare beneficiaries under the Medicare Advantage Program and/or
the 1876 Cost Plan, applicant must meet regulatory requirements to
enter into a contract with CMS, or to continue to contract with
CMS.
CMS used the Contract Year (CY)
2017 data to estimate the number of projected
applications/responses that we will receive for CY2018. For the
CY2017 application cycle CMS noted an approximate 46% decrease in
the SAE applications. We believe this decrease was attributed to
the policy change which required SAE applicants to submit Health
Service Delivery (HSD) tables for the entire provider network (both
active and pending counties) that the plan was proposing to expand
into with the SAE request. Previously in the CY 2016 application
cycle SAE applicants were only required to submit HSD tables for
the pending/proposed service areas. In addition, CMS noted an
approximate 44% decrease in the number of SNP applications
submitted when compared to CY 2016. We believe the reduction in the
SNP applications in CY2017 was attributed to the policy change to
remove the requirement for D-SNPs to submit applications based upon
their subtypes. The technical/clarification changes are not
anticipated to have any impact on the burden estimates for the CY
2018 MA application process. CMS believes the changes will assist
applicants in enhancing their understanding of the application
requirements and process. As such, there are no significant changes
in the application content from CY2017 to CY 2018 therefore the
burden is expected to remain constant for the applicant.
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.