[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 110 (Friday, June 8, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31813-31814]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-2844]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary

[No. DoD-2007-HA-0030]


Proposed Collection, Comment Request

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

ACTION: Notice.

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    In accordance with section 3506(c) of the Paperwork Reduction Act 
of 1995, the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health 
Affairs announces the proposed extension of a public information 
collection and seeks public comment on the provisions thereof. Comments 
are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed extension of 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 
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: Considerations will be given to all comments received by August 
7, 2007.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by docket number and 
title, by any of the following methods:
    <bullet> Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
    <bullet> Mail: Federal Docket Management System Office, 1160 
Defense Pentagon, Washington, DC 20301-1160.
    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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request more information on this 
proposed information collection, please write to the TRICARE Management 
Activity, Medical Benefits and Reimbursement System, 16401 E. 
Centretech Pkwy, Attn: Ann Fazzini, Aurora, CO 80011-9066, or call 
TRICARE Management Activity, Medical Benefits and Reimbursement Systems 
at (303) 676-3803.
    Title and OMB Number: Diagnosis Related Groups (DRG) Reimbursement 
(Two Parts); 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. Respondents are 
institutional providers.
    Affected Public: Business or other-for-profit.

[[Page 31814]]

    Annual Burden Hours: 8,400.
    Number of Respondents: 5,600.
    Responses per Respondent: 1.
    Average Burden per Response: 90 minutes.
    Frequency: On occasion.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Summary of Information Collection

    The Department of Defense Authorization Act, 1984, Pub. L. 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). Institutional providers in 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 were 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 CHAMPUS as a 
condition for payment and may be satisfied by the same statements as 
required for Medicare, with substitution or addition of ``CHAMPUS'' 
when the word ``Medicare'' is used. Physicians sign a physician 
acknowledgment, maintained by the institution, at the time the 
physician is granted admitting privileges. This acknowledgment 
indicates the physician understands the importance of a correct medical 
record, and misrepresentation may be subject to penalties.

    Dated: June 1, 2007.
Patricia L. Toppings,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 07-2844 Filed 6-7-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5001-06-M