41002 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 128 / Monday, July 3, 2000 / Rules and Regulations

List of Subjects in 30 CFR Part 250

Continental shelf, Environmental

impact statements, Environmental

protection, Government contracts,

Incorporation by reference,

Investigations, Mineral royalties, Oil

and gas development and production,

Oil and gas exploration, Oil and gas

reserves, Penalties, Pipelines, Public

lands—mineral resources, Public

lands—rights-of-way, Reporting and

recordkeeping requirements, Sulphur

development and production, Sulphur

exploration, Surety bonds.

Dated: June 7, 2000.

Sylvia V. Baca,

Assistant Secretary, Land and Minerals

Management.

For the reasons stated in the

preamble, MMS amends 30 CFR Part

250 as follows:

PART 250—OIL AND GAS AND

SULPHUR OPERATIONS IN THE

OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF

1. The authority citation for part 250

continues to read as follows:

Authority: 43 U.S.C. 1331, et seq.

2. In § 250.198, in the table in

paragraph (e), add the following in

alpha-numerical order:

§ 250.198 Documents incorporated by

reference.

* * * * *

(e) * * *

Title of documents Incorporated by reference

at

*******

API MPMS, Chapter 10, Section 9, Standard Test Method for Water in Crude Oils by Coulometric Karl Fischer Titration, First Edition, November 1993, API Stock No. 852–30210.§ 250.1202(a)(3), (l)(4)

*******

[FR Doc. 00–15659 Filed 6–30–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–MR–P

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary

32 CFR Part 199

TRICARE; Civilian Health and Medical

Program of the Uniformed Services

(CHAMPUS); Bonus Payments in

Medically Underserved Areas

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, DoD.

ACTION: Interim final rule.

SUMMARY: This interim final rule

implements a bonus payment, in

addition to the amount normally paid

under the allowable charge

methodology, to providers in medically

underserved areas. For purposes of this

rule, medically underserved areas are

the same as those determined by the

Secretary of Health and Human Services

for the Medicare program. Such bonus

payments shall be equal to the bonus

payments authorized by Medicare,

except as necessary to recognize any

unique or distinct characteristics or

requirements of the CHAMPUS

program, and as described in

instructions issued by the Director,

OCHAMPUS. Due to the urgency for

such bonus payments in medically

underserved areas to alleviate problems

of access to healthcare coverage caused

by lower payments, the interim final

rule making process has been utilized.

This rule promotes a reimbursement

enhancement to a limited number of

providers designed to increase

CHAMPUS beneficiary access to care,

which also supports the use of the

interim final rule.

DATES: This rule is effective August 2,

2000. Written comments will be

accepted until September 1, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Forward comments to

Medical Benefits and Reimbursement

Systems, TRICARE Management

Activity, 16401 East Centretech

Parkway, Aurora, CO 80011–9043.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Stan

Regensberg, Medical Benefits and

Reimbursement Systems, TRICARE

Management Activity, telephone (303)

676–3742.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 32 CFR

Part 199, ‘‘Civilian Health and Medical

Program of the Uniformed Services

(CHAMPUS),’’ was published in the

Federal Register on July 1, 1986. This

interim final rule implements a bonus

payment, in addition to the amount

normally paid under the allowable

charge methodology, to providers in

medically underserved areas. For

purposes of this rule, medically

underserved areas are the same as those

determined by the Secretary of Health

and Human Services for the Medicare

program. Such bonus payments shall be

equal to the bonus payments authorized

by Medicare, except as necessary to

recognize any unique or distinct

characteristics or requirements of the

CHAMPUS program, and as described

in instructions issued by the Director,

OCHAMPUS. If the Department of

Health and Human Services acts to

amend or remove the provision for

bonus payments under Medicare,

CHAMPUS likewise may follow

Medicare in amending or removing

provision for such payments. To

expedite access to healthcare coverage

that has been impacted by lower

payments in such medically

underserved areas, the interim final rule

process is being utilized. Additionally,

it provides a reimbursement

enhancement that favors providers in

underserved areas, thus alleviating

healthcare access problems experienced

by beneficiaries residing in such areas.

Finally, because Medicare previously

established a bonus payment

reimbursement mechanism in these

areas, our emulation of this well

established mechanism complies with

existing statutory mandates that

CHAMPUS follow Medicare

reimbursement policy wherever

practicable. This rule will not

unilaterally increase payments to all

providers, but just those residing in

these underserved areas. Due to the

urgency for additional payments to

ensure beneficiary access to care in

these areas, it would be impracticable

and contrary to the public’s interest not

to use the interim final rule process. To

do otherwise would prevent

OCHAMPUS from fulfilling its duty to

beneficiaries in these underserved areas.

Regulatory Procedure

Executive Order 12866 requires

certain regulatory assessments for any

significant regulatory action, defined as

one which would result in an annual

effect on the economy of $100 million

or more, or have other substantial

impacts. The Regulatory Flexibility Act

(RFA) requires that each Federal agency

prepare, and make available for public

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 128 / Monday, July 3, 2000 / Rules and Regulations 41003

comment, a regulatory flexibility

analysis when the agency issues a

regulation which would have a

significant impact on a substantial

number of small entities. This Interim

Final Rule is not a significant regulatory

action under Executive Order 12866,

nor would it have a significant impact

on a substantial number of small

entities. The changes set forth in the

interim final rule are minor revisions to

the existing regulation.

The interim final rule will not impose

additional information collection

requirements on the public under the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44

U.S.C. 3501–3511). This rule is being

issued as an interim final rule, with

comment period, as an exception to our

standard practice of soliciting public

comments prior to issuance. The

Assistant Secretary of Defense (Health

Affairs) has determined that following

the standard practice in this case would

be impracticable, unnecessary, and

contrary to the public interest. This

determination is based on several

factors. Most importantly, this change

directly implements a payment process

already used by Medicare. All public

comments are invited.

List of Subjects in 32 CFR Part 199

Claims, Handicapped, Health

insurance, Military personnel.

Accordingly, 32 CFR part 199 is

amended as follows:

PART 199—[AMENDED]

1. The authority citation for part 199

continues to read as follows:

Authority: 5 U.S.C. 301, 10 U.S.C. Chapter

55.

2. Section 199.14 is amended by

redesignating paragraphs (h)(2) and

(h)(3) as (h)(3) and (h)(4) and adding a

new paragraph (h)(2) to read as follows:

§ 199.14 Provider reimbursement

methods.

* * * * *

(h) * * *

(2) Bonus payments in medically

underserved areas. A bonus payment, in

addition to the amount normally paid

under the allowable charge

methodology, may be made to providers

in medically underserved areas. For

purposes of this paragraph, medically

underserved areas are the same as those

determined by the Secretary of Health

and Human Services for the Medicare

program. Such bonus payments shall be

equal to the bonus payments authorized

by Medicare, except as necessary to

recognize any unique or distinct

characteristics or requirements of the

CHAMPUS program, and as described

in instructions issued by the Director,

OCHAMPUS.

If the Department of Health and

Human Services acts to amend or

remove the provision for bonus

payments under Medicare, CHAMPUS

likewise may follow Medicare in

amending or removing provision for

such payments.

* * * * *

Dated: June 22, 2000.

L.M. Bynum,

Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison

Officer, Department of Defense.

[FR Doc. 00–16264 Filed 6–30–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 5001–10–U

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Coast Guard

33 CFR Part 100

[CGD07–00–062]

RIN 2115–AE46

Special Local Regulations; Harbour

Town Fireworks Display, Calibogue

Sound, Hilton Head, SC

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DOT.

ACTION: Temporary final rule.

SUMMARY: Temporary Special Local

Regulations are being adopted for the

Harbour Town Fireworks Display,

Calibogue Sound, Hilton Head, SC. The

event will be held from 9 p.m. to 9:30

p.m. local time on July 4, 2000 in

Calibogue Sound, Hilton Head, SC.

These regulations are needed to provide

for the safety of life on navigable waters

during the event.

DATES: This rule is effective from 8:30

p.m. to 9:30 p.m. local time on July 4,

2000 and from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on

July 5, 2000 in case of event

postponement due to the onset of

inclement weather.

ADDRESSES: Comments and material

received from the public, as well as

documents indicated in this preamble as

being available in the docket, are part of

docket CGD 07–00–062 and are

available for inspection or copying at

Commander, Coast Guard Group, 196

Tradd St., Charleston, SC 29401,

between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday

through Friday, except Federal holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: LT

Simone Brisco, U.S. Coast Guard Group,

Charleston, SC, at (843) 724–7628.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Regulatory Information

We did not publish a notice of

proposed rulemaking (NPRM) for this

regulation. Under 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B), the

Coast Guard finds that good cause exists

for not publishing an NPRM because

information concerning the exact date

and times of the event were only

recently received. Under 5 U.S.C.

553(d)(3), the Coast Guard finds that

good cause exists for making this rule

effective less than 30 days after

publication in the Federal Register

because information concerning the

exact date and times of the event were

only recently received.

Background and Purpose

These regulations are required to

provide for the safety of life on

navigable waters because of the inherent

danger of fireworks during the Harbour

Town Display, Calibogue Sound, Hilton

Head, SC.

Regulatory Evaluation

This rule is not a ‘‘significant

regulatory action’’ under section 3(f) of

Executive Order 12866 and does not

require an assessment of potential costs

and benefits under section 6(a)(3) of that

Order. The Office of Management and

Budget has not reviewed it under that

order. It is not significant under the

regulatory policies and procedures of

the Department of Transportation (DOT)

(44 FR 11040, February 26, 1979). We

expect the economic impact of this rule

to be so minimal that a full Regulatory

Evaluation under paragraph 10e of the

regulatory policies and procedures of

DOT is unnecessary as this regulation

will only be in effect for one hour in a

limited area.

Small Entities

Under the Regulatory Flexibility Act

(5 U.S.C. 601–612) we considered

whether this rule would have a

significant economic impact on a

substantial number of small entities.

The term ‘‘small entities’’ comprises

small business, not-for-profit

organizations that are independently

owned and operated and are not

dominant in their fields, and

governmental jurisdictions with

populations of less than 50,000.

The Coast Guard certifies under 5

U.S.C. 605(b) that this rule will not have

a significant economic impact on a

substantial number of small entities.

The rule will affect the following

entities, some of which may be small

entities: the owners or operators of

vessels intending to transit or anchor in

a portion of Calibogue Sound from 8:30

p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on July 4, 2000 (or July

5, 2000 if the event is postponed). This

special local regulation will not have a

significant economic impact on a

substantial number of small entities