Agency Information Collection Activities: Request for Emergency Review by the Office of Management and Budget

[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 161 (Friday, August 20, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45580-45581]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-21652]


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SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION


Agency Information Collection Activities: Request for Emergency 
Review by the Office of Management and Budget

    The Social Security Administration publishes a list of information 
collection packages that will require clearance by OMB in compliance 
with Public Law 104-13 effective October 1, 1995, The Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995. The information collection listed below has been 
submitted to OMB for emergency consideration. OMB approval has been 
requested by August 31, 1999.
    0960-0601. Public Law 105-277 authorizes SSA to conduct a Medicare 
buy-in demonstration project to evaluate means to promote the Medicare 
buy-in programs targeted to elderly and disabled individuals under 
titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act. A lack of awareness 
about the Medicare buy-in programs appears to be one of the major 
obstacles to enrollments. Other obstacles to enrollment include the 
confusion of potential eligibles as to how to apply for these programs 
and a preference for dealing with SSA field offices rather than with 
local Medicaid offices.
    SSA began screening respondents voluntarily on March 1, 1999 for 
potential Medicare Part B buy-in eligibility using a screening guide 
developed for this purpose. The screening guide will collect 
information from SSA beneficiaries regarding income, resources, marital 
status, and living arrangements and also ask questions about their 
awareness of Medicare Part B buy-in programs. SSA will gather this 
information to identify and overcome obstacles to Medicare Part B buy-
in enrollments and to determine potential eligibility for Medicare Part 
B benefits.

[[Page 45581]]

    In addition, SSA will interview a small, random sample of 
individuals who did not respond to the buy-in outreach publicity in 
order to understand the impediments to the buy-in enrollment process. 
These interviews will attempt to ascertain if beneficiaries chose not 
to participate in the program and, if so, why.
    Also, peer assistance screening will be conducted in States that 
volunteer to participate in this variant screening model. Using a 
variant screening model will allow SSA to test a buy-in outreach model 
in which non-governmental peers of the target group provide assistance. 
In this model, AARP will provide volunteers to, gather data from 
beneficiaries to determine potential eligibility for buy-in programs 
and assist them through the screening and application processes. AARP 
will share results of its efforts with SSA for use in SSA's report on 
the demonstration program. This effort will provide a comparison to 
other SSA and Health Care Finance Administration (HCFA) buy-in outreach 
efforts and provide information for a cost comparison.

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                                                                                                    AARP's peer
                                                                                        SSA         assistance
                                                                   SSA screener   nonresponders'    screening &
                                                                                      survey       summary form
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Number of Respondents...........................................          24,000             500          20,000
Number of Responses.............................................               1               1               1
Frequency of Response...........................................               1               1               1
Average Burden Per Response (minutes)...........................              20              20              20
Estimated Annual Burden (hours).................................           8,000             167           6,667
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    To receive a copy of the screening guides or the clearance 
packages, call the SSA Reports Clearance Officer on 410) 965-4145 or 
write to him at the address listed below. Written comments and 
recommendations regarding the information collection(s) should be 
directed to the OMB Desk Officer and SSA Reports Clearance Officer at 
the following addresses:

Attn: Lori Schack, New Executive Office Building, Room 10230, 725 17th 
St., NW, Washington, DC 20503.
(SSA) Social Security Administration, DCFAM, Attn: Frederick W. 
Brickenkamp, 6401 Security Blvd., 1-A-21 Operations Bldg., Baltimore, 
MD 21235.

    Dated: August 16, 1999.
Frederick W. Brickenkamp,
Reports Clearance Officer, Social Security Administration.
[FR Doc. 99-21652 Filed 8-19-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4190-29-P