Grant funds are awarded by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to states to provide information, counseling and assistance to beneficiaries relating to Medicare and Medicaid matters as well as Medicare supplement policies, managed care options including Medicare Advantage, long-term care insurance, and other health insurance benefit information. States may carry out the objective of the grants by providing one-on-one counseling, either face-to-face or over the telephone, by trained paid and volunteer staff, by distributing written informational materials, or by holding group educational seminars and presentations and outreach events. The current Client Contact Form, Public and Media Activity Report Form, and Resource Report Form have been used to collect data to evaluate program effectiveness and improvement, and these forms expire July 31, 2013.
US Code:
42 USC 1395b-4
Name of Law: Health insurance information, counseling, and assistance grants
PL:
Pub.L. 101 - 508 4360(F)
Name of Law: Health Insurance Information, Counseling, and Assistance Grants
This request relates to the State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) (OMB Control Number 0985-0040 - Expiration date 3/31/2020). As part of OMBâs original approval for ACL to evaluate program effectiveness and improvement of this program, the following data collection tools were approved by OMB: Client Contact Form, Public and Media Activity Report Form, and Resource Report Form. Subsequent to receiving approval, the Administration for Community Living (ACL) has been in development of a new data system, one which will reduce the time burdens on volunteers and grantees.
The Department is requesting approval for slight alterations to the current collection tools. These alterations are based on ACLâs analysis of the data collected and serve as a means to eliminate duplication, simplify questions, and to reduce time spent on text entry fields. ACL believes that the changes we are requesting are not substantive, would not change the nature of information being collected, and do not require republication in the Federal Register. The current approved collection tools are text and direct entry. ACL seeks to change the average time to complete these forms by changing some of the current direct entry items to a dropdown selection format.
We estimate that this will result in an overall reduction in the amount of time it takes to complete a form by nearly 33%: from 326,860.34 hours to 214,404.50 hours.
ACL also seeks to separate the Public and Media Activity Report Form into two separate forms. They are as follows:
⢠Media Outreach & Education Form
⢠Group Outreach & Education Form
This separation will increase clarity and reduce inefficiencies by simplifying entry to focus on the necessary elements for each activity and reducing duplicate data entry. The information that follows includes an overview of the existing collection tool and the proposed changes.
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.
Form 4 Group Outreach Education Form
Non-Substantive Change - SHIP 2018 8.10.18.docx
Group Outreach Education Form