RDR: 2008 Frequently Asked Questions

When is the submission deadline for the 2008 Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Annual Data Report?

The submission deadline for the data reports (Parts A– D) is 6:00 p.m. ET on April 1, 2009. Reports submitted after this deadline—even one second after 6:00 p.m.—will result in the entire submission being marked late in the Electronic Handbooks (EHBs).

An agency that wants information on paper submissions should contact Data Support at 866-640-9356.

What are other relevant deadlines?

No new data reports can be created after March 16, 2009.
Grantees can not return data reports for correction after March 23, 2009.
Grantees must approve all data reports by April 1, 2009.

All deadlines are 6:00 p.m. ET.

What is the difference between a grantee and a provider?

A grantee receives Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program funds directly from HRSA. A provider receives Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program funds from an agency other than HRSA (usually a grantee).

Do program and agency mean the same thing or are they different?

For the purpose of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Annual Data Report, they mean the same thing.

How do agencies access the RDR Web system?

Grantees must access the Ryan White Data Report Web system through the EHBs at https://grants.hrsa.gov/webexternal. Providers may access the RDR Web system at https://performance.hrsa.gov/hab. New users should use the assigned registration code to create a user name and password in the Web System. Experienced users should use their user name and password from last year. If you have forgotten your user name and/or password contact the HRSA Call Center at 877-464-4772 (TTY for hearing impaired 1-877-897-9910) or CallCenter@hrsa.gov for assistance.

Instructions for accessing the Web system are included in the annual data report mailing sent to grantees.

Is there a minimum browser requirement to access the data report Web system?

Yes. You must have Internet Explorer version 5.5 or higher. Netscape is not supported.

Where can I download the data report form and instructions?

The data report form and instructions may be downloaded in PDF format at http://hab.hrsa.gov/RDR/. You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader software, which can be downloaded at no charge from http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/.

How does a Multiply-funded agency report Part D Adolescent Initiative data?

Part D Adolescent Initiative programs are no longer required to submit a separate data report; providers should submit a single data report containing the data from all Program Parts under which they are funded.

Should a provider that receives funding from grantees through different Ryan White HIV/AIDS Programs complete more than one data report, reporting the different programs' data separately?

No. Each provider completes one data report for all clients served during the reporting period and sends an identical copy to each grantee of record, even if some information is not relevant to a particular grantee.

What is an EIN?

EIN stands for Employer Identification Number. This is often the same as your agency's Taxpayer ID number.

Does an agency that only provides indirect services need to fill out a data report?

A provider agency that only provides indirect services should complete Items 1-16 and stop.

Will there be a penalty for a large number of unknowns reported for specific items on the data report?

Grantees are expected to work with their service providers to establish procedures for collecting all information on the data report for all clients served during the reporting period. Project officers within the individual programs will be notified when grantees report large numbers of unknowns or omit data. The HIV/AIDS Bureau (HAB) will decide how to handle such deficiencies.

To count an affected individual as a client, does the infected family member or partner need to be a client of the agency?

Yes. To report this individual as a client, he or she must be linked to a client who is HIV-positive. Affected individuals must also receive at least one eligible service during the reporting period to be reported as a client.

Can I update my data report after it has been submitted by my grantee?

Yes, but only before the submission deadline. If your data report was submitted via the Web, use the "Unsubmit" feature to request that it be returned to "Working" status.

Which sections of the data report do we complete?

In general, Sections 1-5 are completed by all programs (Parts A-D); Section 6.1 is completed by Part C programs; Section 6.2 is completed by Part D programs; and Section 7 is completed primarily by Part A and B programs. Within these general guidelines, the specific services you provide determine which sections you must complete. Contact Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Data Support for more information.

Item 3: Whose contact information should be provided?

Provide the contact information of the person responsible for the data in the report.

Item 5: I only capture client information every 6 months, and the 6-month period does not fall at the end of the reporting period. Am I required to ask for the information again?

No. Report the most recent information available for each client.

Item 6: How do I determine whether to use reporting scope "01" or "02?"

Agencies reporting all clients who received services ELIGIBLE for Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program funding during the reporting period should use reporting scope “01.” Agencies with the ability to report only the clients receiving services paid for exclusively with Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program funding (i.e. that possess a system that tracks clients and services by funding stream), should use reporting scope “02.”

Item 6: Which services are eligible for Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program funding?

In general, services eligible for funding include counseling and testing, the administrative support services listed in Item 16, and the core and support services listed in Section 3 (Item 33). Refer to your program guidance for services eligible for funding by your specific program(s).

Item 10: I contract with a fiscal intermediary agency to allocate funding and monitor the activities of service providers. Am I responsible for reviewing these providers’ RDRs?

Yes. Grantees are responsible for approving the data of all agencies with which they contract, directly or indirectly. Both the fiscal intermediary provider and the direct service providers must be included on the grantee’s provider list, and the grantee must approve each data report in order to complete its submission. Grantees are encouraged to work with their fiscal intermediaries to review the data from the service providers.

Items 11-14: Should the amount reported be the contract value or the amount received?

Providers should report the amount of money EXPENDED from January 1 through December 31 of the reporting year.

Items 11-14: Should grantees include the funds they distributed to their providers in the total amount of funding reported?

No. Report funds expended by your agency only. Funds distributed to providers should not be reported in your data report, because they will be reported in your providers' data reports.

Items 11–14: I receive Part B funding from a Part A grantee. How do I report the funding?

Report the amount of Part B funding expended in Item 12, Part B funding.

Items 11-14: Is it permissible to report fiscal year data?

No. Grantees must report funds expended during the calendar year.

Item 15: Should we report funding from the Dental Reimbursement Program (DRP) or the Community-Based Dental Partnership Program (CBDPP)?

No. Only report funds from Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Parts A-D expended on oral health care, regardless of your funding scope. The DRP and CBDPP do not use the Ryan White Data Report for annual reporting.

Item 16: A grantee contracts with an agency that provides only technical assistance and quality management. How should this provider complete the data report?

This provider should complete Items 1-16 only, checking "yes" to the two support services in Item 16. This provider should then check the box indicating that administrative support services were the only services provided during the reporting period, and submit its data report to the grantee.

Item 23: How are HIV-exposed infants categorized on the data report?

If their status is known (HIV-positive or negative), then it should be reported on the appropriate line. If their status is unknown, it should be reported as HIV-indeterminate.If their status is known (HIV-positive or negative), then it should be reported on the appropriate line. If their status is unknown, it should be reported as HIV-indeterminate. NOTE: Infants who received treatment but whose status was subsequently confirmed negative should be reported in the HIV-indeterminate category (See FAQ Section 3, number 3).

Item 23: Where does a provider report clients whose HIV status is unknown?

They should be reported as HIV status unknown/unreported. If they are under 2 years of age, they should be reported as HIV-indeterminate.

Items 23-31: What is the correct way to report data for clients who died from any cause during the reporting period?

Deceased clients' data should be reported under the category in which they were last reported before their death.

Item 24: If a client reenters a program after a long absence, should he or she be counted as a new client?

No. The client who returns for care after an extended absence should not be considered new unless past records of his or her care are not available.

Item 27: How should providers report clients who do not self-report a race/ethnicity?

If clients report race, but not ethnicity, report them in the appropriate race and HIV status category in the Non-Hispanic table (Item 27b). Similarly, if clients report their ethnicity as Hispanic, but do not report race, report them in the “not reported” race category in the appropriate HIV status column in the Hispanic table (Item 27a). Clients who do not report race or ethnicity should be included in the appropriate HIV status column in the “Not reported” race category and in the Non-Hispanic table (Item 27b). Agencies should, however, make every effort to collect demographic information from all clients.

Item 28: How should providers categorize the household income of clients who are homeless?

Homeless clients should be reported in the appropriate income category. If the clients report no income, count them in the "Equal to or below the Federal poverty level" category.

Item 29: How should providers categorize the housing/living arrangements of clients who are homeless?

Include homeless clients in the "Non-permanently housed" category.

Item 30: How do providers report a client with more than one type of medical insurance?

If a client has more than one source of insurance at the end of the reporting period, the primary insurance, or the one that reimburses the most, should be reported. The list of insurance types in Item 30 is not hierarchical.

Item 30: How do providers report clients whose only source of medical insurance is Part C funds?

These clients should be reported in the "No insurance" category.

Item 30: If a grantee pays private insurance premiums for clients, under which insurance category should the grantee report them?

Classify these clients as publicly insured. Also, check "Yes" for Item 18, check that a Health Insurance Program was offered in Item 33e, and include these clients in Section 7.

Item 32: What is the definition of "inactive?"

Each agency determines the period of time that must pass before a client is considered inactive.

How should agencies that are contracted to provide case management services report those services in Item 33?

Programs under contract with their grantees to provide MCM only, should report all case management visits under MCM. Conversely, programs under contract to provide NCM only, should report all case management visits under NCM. In instances where a program is under contract with its grantee to provide both, its reporting system must track each type of case management visit separately. Contact your grantee of record if you need clarification about the types of services you are contracted to provide.

What is the difference between medical case management and non-medical case management services?

The definition for Medical Case Management (MCM) is very broad, encompassing "…a range of client-centered services that link clients with health care, psychosocial, and other services." Non-medical Case Management (NCM) is a subset of MCM. One primary difference is that MCM involves the coordination and follow-up of medical treatments and NCM does not. In addition, MCM includes the provision of treatment adherence counseling to ensure readiness for, and adherence to, complex HIV/AIDS treatments.

Some Part D funded agencies provide services to exposed infants whose HIV status is not yet known. How should these infants be reported in Section 3?

These infants would be categorized as HIV-indeterminate. HIV-indeterminate clients should be reported in the HIV-positive/indeterminate columns.

Should grantees and service providers report fee-for-service treatments or services on the data report?

Yes. Providers should track all services they pay for.

What constitutes a visit?

"Visit" should be defined by your program. However, a client may have only one visit for each service category per day.

How are visits counted for a residential substance abuse treatment center?

Each day in a residential facility equals one visit. For example, if a client spends 20 days in a residential facility, count this as 20 visits.

Can a client be reported under more than one service category in one day?

Yes. For example, a client can receive mental health services from a psychologist in the late morning and have a scheduled medical case management visit in the early afternoon.

Item 33n: Under which service category should providers report child respite care?

Child respite care falls under 33n, "Child care services." It includes child care when parents need someone to watch their children while they receive services; it does not include child care while a parent is at work.

Item 33s: Are rental subsidies included in the definition for housing services in 33s?

No. Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program funds should not be used to help clients pay their rent. This type of service falls under HUD.

Item 33w: Should providers report anonymous individuals for outreach services?

No. This category should NOT be used for reporting any anonymous individuals. If grantees or service providers conduct outreach activities in large settings such as health fairs, individuals who participate should not be included on the data report unless they received at least one eligible Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program service during the reporting period and are accounted for in Section 2.

Item 33z: Where does a Part C provider document an infected client referred for substance abuse treatment and counseling services?

A Part C agency referring clients for substance abuse services should report these clients in 33z and check “Yes, through referral” in 64l. However, if the agency reimburses a provider to deliver these services and the provider does not submit a Ryan White Data Report, the clients are reported in 33l and “Yes, within the EIS program” is checked in 64l.

Item 33z: Do referral fees need to be paid in order for an agency to count a referral?

No.

Item 33z: How is "Referral for health care/supportive services" defined by HAB?

It is defined as the act of directing a client to a service in person or through telephone, written, or other type of communication. Referrals may be made within the non-medical case management system by case managers, informally through support staff, or as part of an outreach program.

Item 33z: If clients are sent to another location for lab work, do they still need to be reported under this service category?

No. A medical service visit includes lab work. If a client goes to a doctor for a medical visit and is sent somewhere else for labs, it is counted as one visit, NOT as two medical visits, nor as a medical visit and a referral.

Item 33ad: If a clinician talks about treatment adherence as part of a client's medical visit, should that visit be counted as a treatment adherence visit, as well as a medical visit?

No. Only counseling or special programs devoted to ensuring a client’s readiness for and adherence to complex HIV/AIDS treatment should be counted as a treatment adherence counseling visit. Note that treatment adherence counseling takes place outside the clinical setting and is provided by non-medical personnel. If a case manager in a clinical setting discusses treatment adherence with a client, that visit should be counted as a medical case management visit.

Which service providers should complete this section?

Providers funded under any and all Program Parts that provide HIV antibody counseling and testing (C&T) should complete this section. C&T is a required component of Part C programs.

Which individuals should be reported in this section?

All individuals who were tested should be reported in this section, whether or not they received any other services.

Should agencies report all individuals who received HIV counseling and testing (C&T) during the reporting period or only those who received C&T funded by Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program funds?

Agencies that report under scope "01" and provided C&T during the reporting period must complete all items in Section 4 for all individuals who received C&T, regardless of the funding source. Agencies that report under scope "02" must complete Section 4 for those who received C&T as a Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program-funded service. Those who report using scope "02" and provided C&T but did not use Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program funds for these services, should answer "yes" to Item 34, "no" to Item 35, and skip to Section 5.

How should agencies that provide HIV testing only in accordance with the CDC's revised recommendations for testing report their testing data?

These agencies should answer "Yes" to Item 34 and continue to complete Section 4. For more information about the CDC's recommendations, refer to: http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/testing/guideline.htm.

Item 34b: Where should infants who are tested for HIV, but whose mothers are not clients, be reported?

Infants tested for HIV should be reported in the appropriate items in Section 4.

Items 36-39: How can we enter anonymous individuals into CAREWare?

Anonymous individuals cannot be entered into CAREWare. However, after uploading your data report from CAREWare to the Web system, you can manually add anonymous individuals to the appropriate categories. Section 4 is the only section of the data report where anonymous individuals can be reported.

Item 41: When should an agency answer "yes" to Partner Notification Services?

An agency should answer "yes" if there are policies and procedures in place to provide Partner Notification Services in a standardized way to all clients testing positive for HIV disease.

Should infants be reported in Section 5?

Infants should be included in this section if they are HIV-positive/indeterminate and had at least one outpatient/ambulatory medical care visit during the reporting period.

What is the definition of Medical Service Provider?

A Medical Service Provider is any service provider who provided outpatient/ambulatory medical care (Item 33a).

If an agency refers clients to individual physicians for outpatient/ambulatory medical care on a fee-for-service basis, who completes Section 5?

In general, the agency that reimburses the physicians is responsible for filling out the medical information on those clients.

Item 45: Which clients should be reported in Item 45?

Report any and all clients new to HIV/AIDS medical care, regardless of whether they've received other services from your agency in the past. The number of clients new to medical care may be more or less than the number of new HIV-positive/indeterminate clients reported in Items 32 and/or 24.

Items 46-53: If an agency is responsible for reporting medical information but does not have all of the requested data, how should it complete this Section?

The agency should report all medical information available to them. Also, it should make every effort to obtain all the medical information requested in Section 5.

Items 47-48: What is the definition of "treatment" in Item 48? Does it mean prescribed, in progress, or completed?

In Item 48, "treatment" refers to treatment that has been initiated, which can include a physician writing a prescription for medication. Note that the physician may not know if the patient filled the prescription or took the medication.

Item 47b: Are clients only counted if the TB skin test is planted and read?

Item 47b refers to TB tests planted.

Items 46-49 and 51-53: Is client self-report acceptable for these items?

No.

Item 48: If a client is tested at an unassociated medical facility and sends the results to our clinic, should they be included in Item 48?

No. Include only those clients who were tested by your HIV medical program.

Item 48: What if a client started treatment but didn't finish?

If a client was prescribed the treatment, he or she should be counted in the appropriate treatment category.

Item 49: Should we report clients who entered our care for the first time with a diagnosis of AIDS before the reporting period?

No. Report only clients who received an AIDS diagnosis for the first time during the reporting period, regardless of the source of diagnosis.

Item 51: What are the criteria for including a client in Item 51 (antiretroviral therapies) at the end of the reporting period?

Any client who is on any type of antiretroviral therapy at the end of the reporting should be included in Item 51.

Item 51: If a client receives both dual and triple combination therapy (HAART) in one reporting year, how should he or she be reported on the data report?

Report the client under the therapy he or she was receiving at the end of the reporting year.

Item 53a-e: How is a woman who is pregnant for a few weeks in one reporting period and then delivers in the next reporting period reported in Item 53a-e?

In this situation the woman would be reported in Item 53a-e for both reporting years. The child she delivers would only be reported under Items 53d and e during the second reporting year (since that was when the child was delivered).

Item 53c: Is this item meant to track women who are prescribed antiretroviral medications or women who actually take their antiretroviral medications?

All women who are prescribed antiretroviral medications should be reported in this item regardless of whether they actually take the medications.

Should the number of clients reported in Section 6.1 be the same as the number of unduplicated clients in Section 2?

These numbers would be equal if the agency provided primary health care services to all clients.

When a multiply funded provider completes the Part D information in Section 6.2, should the provider only report those served under Part D programs?

Yes. The information reported in Section 6.2 should only include those served under Part D programs.

Must the client subtotals in the demographic tables in Section 6.1 match across tables?

Yes. In an effort to obtain a comprehensive and accurate picture of the people served by Ryan White Programs, HAB instituted new data validation requirements for the Section 6.1 tables in 2006. These checks require validation across tables and require that the subtotal data reported in one table match the subtotal data reported in the others. For example, if an agency served 10 Asian men, “10” should appear as the subtotal for “Asian male” in the tables in Items 59 and 60. Similarly, if an agency served a total of 5 female injection drug users (IDUs), “5” should appear as the subtotal for “IDU female” in the tables in Items 60 and 61.

A Part D grantee is also a Part B provider. How does this grantee report a 60-year-old male receiving case management services under Part B?

Report this client in relevant sections of the data report (i.e., Sections 2 and 3); however, do not report this client in Section 6.2.

Items 60 and 61: Under which response category should a provider report children who were exposed to HIV through sexual abuse?

Report these children under the "Other" exposure category in Items 60 and 61.

Item 64: If a Part C agency refers clients to a clinic within the umbrella organization, but that clinic is not funded by the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, is the referral considered outside the EIS?

No. A referral is considered outside the EIS if the clinic (1) is not part of the grantee organization, (2) does not have a contractual relationship with the grantee, and (3) does not receive reimbursement from the Part C grantee or its parent organization.

Item 64: If a Part C agency refers clients to a clinic considered outside the EIS, and does not pay for those services, how are the services reported?

Indicate that the service was provided through referral in Item 64, and list the services in Item 33 (Section 3) as referrals.

In Section 7, does "new client" refer to clients who are new to the program or new to the agency?

Any client who received his or her first service through HIP during the reporting year should be reported as a new client in Section 7. Clients who were seen in previous years at the agency, but became a part of HIP for the first time during the reporting year, should be reported as new clients in Section 7.

Is funding reported in Section 7 meant to be total program funding or only HIP funding?

Only funding used for HIPs should be reported.