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[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 87 (Wednesday, May 6, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Page 26008]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-10510]

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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary

[Docket ID DoD-2015-HA-0039]

Proposed Collection; Comment Request

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health 
Affairs, DoD.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 
Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs 
announces a proposed public information collection and seeks public 
comment on the provisions thereof. Comments are invited on: (a) Whether 
the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper 
performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the 
information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the 
agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed information collection; 
(c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the 
information collection on respondents, including through the use of 
automated collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology.

DATES: Consideration will be given to all comments received by July 6, 
2015.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by docket number and 
title, by any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
     Mail: Department of Defense, Office of the Deputy Chief 
Management Officer, Directorate of Oversight and Compliance, Regulatory 
and Audit Matters Office, 9010 Defense Pentagon, Washington, DC 20301-
9010.
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency 
name, docket number and title for this Federal Register document. The 
general policy for comments and other submissions from members of the 
public is to make these submissions available for public viewing on the 
Internet at http://www.regulations.gov as they are received without 
change, including any personal identifiers or contact information. Any 
associated form(s) for this collection may be located within this same 
electronic docket and downloaded for review/testing. Follow the 
instructions at http://www.regulations.gov for submitting comments. 
Please submit comments on any given form identified by docket number, 
form number, and title.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request more information on this 
proposed information collection or to obtain a copy of the proposal and 
associated collection instruments, please write to the Defense Health 
Agency, Medical Benefits and Reimbursement Office, 16401 E. Centretech 
Pkwy, Attn: Sharon Seelmeyer, Aurora, CO 80011-9066, or call Defense 
Health Agency, Medical Benefits and Reimbursement Office at (303) 676-
3690.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title; Associated Form; and OMB Number: 
Diagnosis Related Groups (DRG) Reimbursement; OMB Control Number: 0720-
0017.
    Needs and Uses: The TRICARE/CHAMPUS contractors will use the 
information collected to reimburse hospitals for TRICARE/CHAMPUS share 
of capital and direct medical education costs.
    Affected Public: Individuals; business or other for-profit.
    Annual Burden Hours: 8,400.
    Number of Respondents: 5,600.
    Responses per Respondent: 1.
    Average Burden per Response: 90 minutes.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    The Department of Defense Authorization Act, 1984, Public Law 98-94 
amended Title 10, section 1079(j)(2)(A) of the U.S.C. and provided the 
Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniform Services (CHAMPUS) 
with the statutory authority to reimburse institutional providers based 
on diagnosis-related groups (DRGs). The CHAMPUS DRG-based payment 
system, except for children's hospitals (whose capital and direct 
medical education costs are incorporated in the children's hospital 
differential), who want to be reimbursed for allowed capital and direct 
medical education costs must submit a request for payment to the 
TRICARE/CHAMPUS contractor. The request allows TRICARE to collect the 
information necessary to properly reimburse hospitals for its share of 
these costs. The information can be submitted in any form, most likely 
in the form of a letter. The contractor will calculate the TRICARE/
CHAMPUS share of capital and direct medical educations costs and make a 
lump-sum payment to the hospital. The TRICARE/CHAMPUS DRG-based payment 
system is modeled on the Medicare Prospective Payment System (PPS) and 
was implemented on October 1, 1987. Initially, under 42 CFR 412.46 of 
the Medicare regulations, physicians was required to sign attestation 
and acknowledgment statements. These requirements were implemented to 
ensure a means of holding hospitals and physicians accountable for the 
information they submit on the Medicare claim forms. Being modeled on 
the Medicare PPS, CHAMPUS also adopted these requirements. The 
physicians attestation and physician acknowledgment required by 
Medicare under 42 CFR 412.46 are also required for TRICARE/CHAMPUS as a 
condition for payment and may be satisfied by the same statements as 
required for Medicare, with substitution or addition of ``TRICARE/
CHAMPUS'' when the word ``Medicare'' is used. Physicians sign a 
physician acknowledgement, maintained by the institution, at the time 
the physician is granted admitting privileges. This acknowledgement 
indicates the physician understands the importance of a correct medical 
record, and misrepresentation may be subject to penalties.

    Dated: April 30, 2015.
Aaron Siegel,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 2015-10510 Filed 5-5-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 5001-06-P
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