SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

When submitting comments or requesting information, please include the information request collection title for reference.

Information Collection Request Title: AIDS Drug Assistance Program—Transformation: Optimization and Best Practices in the Evolving Health Care Landscape, OMB No. 0906-XXXX—New.

Abstract: HRSA's HIV/AIDS Bureau administers the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, including the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP). ADAPs help low-income people with HIV access therapeutics to treat HIV/AIDS or prevent the serious deterioration of health arising from HIV/AIDS, including measures for the prevention and ( printed page 68526) treatment of opportunistic infections and health care coverage assistance. As health care coverage environments, treatment options, and program financing mechanisms continue to evolve, ADAPs face increasing operational complexity related to eligibility determination; client enrollment and retention; health care coverage navigation; pharmacy management; rebate administration; and data infrastructure. HRSA currently lacks comprehensive, national-level information about how ADAPs manage these operational functions and address emerging challenges.

To address these information gaps, HRSA developed the ADAP Transformation: Optimization and Best Practices in the Evolving Health Care Landscape study. Through this effort, HRSA will collect program-level information from ADAPs nationwide through a web-based survey, qualitative interviews with a purposeful sample of ADAP staff, and virtual listening sessions with the broader ADAP community. The study will identify operational best practices, barriers, and opportunities for technical assistance to strengthen ADAP capacity and support access to HIV care and treatment services. No client-level information, personally identifiable information, or protected health information will be collected.

Need and Proposed Use of the Information: The proposed information collection will provide HRSA with systematic information on operational and administrative practices across ADAPs nationwide. Survey, interview, and listening session data will help HRSA identify effective strategies for managing eligibility processes; client enrollment and recertification; health care coverage continuity; pharmacy operations; rebate management; cost-containment efforts; and data systems modernization.

Findings will support the development of tailored technical assistance, tools, guidance, and dissemination activities designed to strengthen ADAP operations. Results will also inform HRSA program planning and future data collection efforts. Study findings will be reported only in aggregate or de-identified form and will not be used for compliance monitoring or funding decisions.

Likely Respondents: Respondents will consist of staff from state and territorial ADAPs, including program administrators, eligibility and enrollment staff, pharmacy and benefits coordinators, financial and rebate management staff, data systems personnel, and other staff responsible for ADAP operations. HRSA will also invite ADAP staff to participate in virtual listening sessions focused on validating and contextualizing study findings.

Burden Statement: Burden in this context means the time expended by persons to generate, maintain, retain, disclose, or provide the information requested. This includes the time needed to review instructions; to develop, acquire, install, and utilize technology and systems for the purpose of collecting, validating, and verifying information, processing and maintaining information, and disclosing and providing information; to train personnel and to be able to respond to a collection of information; to search data sources; to complete and review the collection of information; and to transmit or otherwise disclose the information. The total annual burden hours estimated for this ICR are summarized in the table below.

HRSA specifically requests comments on: (1) the necessity and utility of the proposed information collection for the proper performance of the agency's functions; (2) the accuracy of the estimated burden; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology to minimize the information collection burden.

91 FR 68525