Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 19 / Wednesday, January 29, 1997 / Notices 4311

associated with Medicare beneficiaries

and Medicaid recipients, who are

primarily the aged, the poor, the

disabled, and persons with end-stage

renal disease. Techniques to be explored

involve systems both for retrospective

utilization pattern review and for

managing prospective interventions in

individual physician or beneficiary and

recipient service or product use. This

area also includes broader management

tools, based on information derived

from utilization review, that promote or

ensure more efficient and effective

service delivery.

C. Beneficiary Information and

Assistance

HCFA invites ideas that may make the

Medicare and Medicaid programs

understandable to beneficiaries and

recipients and that provide assistance to

these individuals in their attempts to

deal with the programs. Potential

program users (Medicare and Medicaid

beneficiaries) need to understand when

they are eligible, what services or

products are covered, and what their

rights and responsibilities are within

each program. (It is important to

understand that detailed information on

Medicaid must be assembled on a stateby-state basis). An example would be an

information project that would assist

health care consumers, including

Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, by

providing aggregate data on provider

performance and utilization trends,

discrete price information, and

information on related copayments, etc.;

in a sense, a ‘‘Blue Book for

Consumers.’’ Another example is

obtaining payment for claims, one of the

most frequent problems encountered by

Medicare beneficiaries. The process of

dealing with Medicare’s fiscal

intermediaries and carriers is difficult

for many beneficiaries. Tools that would

ease this process would be welcome.

Beneficiaries also need to be able to

decide whether they should join, or exit

from, a health maintenance

organization, and the advantages and

disadvantages of the decision.

Beneficiaries need to understand what

considerations to take into account

when long term care is a possibility.

Similarly, beneficiaries need to be

assisted in the decision about the

purchase of health insurance in addition

to Medicare. HCFA invites ideas in

beneficiary communication and

assistance approaches that are tailored

to special populations (such as

significant demographic, sociocultural,

or disease-related groups of

beneficiaries), as well as approaches

that could be used by supplemental

health benefit program sponsors (for

example, employers and unions) in

assisting Medicare-eligible retirees.

Applicants who are considering this

topic should understand that the SBIR

Program generally seeks to support the

development of commercially viable

products and that there is already a fair

amount of existing commercial activity

in this area.

D. Program Efficiencies and

Improvement

The existing systems for health care

delivery and financing have undergone,

and are continuing to undergo, changes

due to new technology, legislation,

regulation, and market forces. Major

payers for health care are continually

studying the feasibility of new

approaches to improving the

management of care, the delivery of

care, and financing. Therefore, HCFA

invites applications that focus on tools

to assist in the goal of improved

management of the Medicare and

Medicaid programs. The term

management is used in a broad sense.

These could be tools that are directed

toward providers who furnish services

or products to Medicare beneficiaries or

Medicaid recipients, organizations that

handle the financing of care,

organizations that oversee the quality of

services and products, or the

beneficiaries and recipients themselves,

and State and local organizations that

deal primarily with Medicare and

Medicaid populations.

HCFA will consider any innovative

idea that appears to have the potential

for improving the programs for any of

the several parties involved, and that

has a potential for sale in the normal or

commercial market. An example of an

innovative idea is the development of

improved computer-based case

management systems for community

care services. Case management

programs are commonly being used to

coordinate community-based care for

frail elderly and other populations

under Medicaid and other programs.

Automated systems use client eligibility

and assessment information to assist

case management agencies in preparing

appropriate plans of care based on the

client’s condition and select service

providers. These systems would also

interface with service approval or

financial or billing systems to improve

the cost-efficiency of case management

programs. Proposed systems should

complement or integrate existing

mandated HCFA instruments

(particularly functional assessment

tools, minimum data sets, discharge

planning, etc.). Redundant instruments

will not be considered for funding.

E. Other Health Care Research and

Demonstrations

We encourage small business

concerns to submit applications for

proposed research in any area within

the field of health care R & D.

VIII. Other Required Information

In accordance with the provisions of

Executive Order 12866, this notice was

not reviewed by the Office of

Management.

Authority: Public Law 97–219, 96 Stat.

217–221; Public Law 99–443, 100 Stat. 1120;

Sec. 108, Public Law 100–590, 102 Stat.

2989, 2994; Public Law 102–564, 106 Stat.

4249 (15 U.S.C. 638 (e) through (m)).

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

Program No. 93.779, Health Care Financing

Research, Demonstration and Experiments)

Dated: December 17, 1996.

Bruce C. Vladeck,

Administrator, Health Care Financing

Administration.

[FR Doc. 97–2087 Filed 1–28–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4120–01–P

[ORD–081–CN; ORD–082–CN; ORD–083–

CN; ORD–091–CN; ORD–094–CN]

Medicaid Program; New and Pending

Demonstration Project Proposals

Submitted Pursuant to Section 1115(a)

of the Social Security Act: August and

September 1995; October 1995;

November 1995; July 1996; and

October 1996; Correction

AGENCY: Health Care Financing

Administration (HCFA), HHS.

ACTION: Correction.

SUMMARY: In the following Federal

Register documents delete the entry and

description for the Montana Mental

Health Access Plan as a ‘‘pending’’

section 1115 demonstration proposal.

• Federal Register document 95–

30066, in the issue of December 11,

1995, page 63535, second column.

• Federal Register document 95–

30559, in the issue of December 15,

1995, page 64443, first column.

• Federal Register document 96–824,

in the issue of January 23, 1996, page

1772, first column.

• Federal Register document 96–

23116, in the issue of September 11,

1996, page 47949 third column.

• Federal Register document 96–

31237, in the issue of December 9, 1996,

page 64916, third column.

In Federal Register document No. 95–

30066, in the issue of December 11,

1995, on page 63536, first column, the

narrative information under the heading

‘‘5. Disapproval Proposals’’ should read

as follows:

‘‘5. Disapproval Proposals
4312 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 19 / Wednesday, January 29, 1997 / Notices

The Montana Mental Health Access

Plan Section 1115 Demonstration

Proposal was disapproved on September

13, 1995 for the following reasons:

• It would not have provided a

comprehensive range of services to the

expansion population, that is, the

expansion population would not be

eligible to receive physical health

benefits under the demonstration; and

• It would have shifted the costs of

state-funded mental health services to

the Federal Government.’’

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

Program, No. 93.779; Health Financing

Research, Demonstrations, and Experiments)

Dated: January 23, 1997.

Barbara Cooper,

Acting Director, Office of Research and

Demonstrations.

[FR Doc. 97–2086 Filed 1–28–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4120–01–P

Health Resources and Services

Administration

Agency Information Collection

Activities: Proposed Collection:

Comment Request

In compliance with the requirement

for opportunity for public comment on

proposed data collection projects

(section 3506(c)(2)(A) of Title 35, United

States Code, as amended by the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Pub.

L. 104–13), the Health Resources and

Services Administration (HRSA) will

publish periodic summaries of proposed

projects being developed for submission

to OMB under the Paperwork Reduction

Act of 1995. To request more

information on the proposed project or

to obtain a copy of the data collection

plans, call the HRSA Reports Clearance

Officer on (301) 443–1129.

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 collection of information; (c)

ways to enhance the quality, utility, and

clarity of the information to be

collected; and (d) ways to minimize the

burden of the collection of information

on respondents, including through the

use of automated collection techniques

or other forms of information

technology.

Proposed Project: The Health

Education Assistance Loan (HEAL)

Program: Forms—0915–0034—

Extension, no change—This clearance

request is for extension of approval for

four HEAL forms: the Lender’s

Application for Contract of Federal Loan

Insurance (used by lenders to make

application to the HEAL insurance

program); the Lender’s Manifest (used

by the lender to report recent HEAL

loan activity); the Loan Transfer

Statement (used by the lender to report

the transfer of a HEAL loan); and the

Borrower Status Request (completed by

the borrower and the borrower’s

employer and used by the lender to

determine eligibility for deferment). The

reports assist the Department in

protecting its investment in this loan

insurance program. No changes to the

forms are proposed.

The estimate of burden for the forms

are as follows:

HRSA form

Number

of respondents

Responses

per

respondent

Total responsesHours per

response

Total burden

hours

Lender’s Application for Contract of Federal Loan Insurance ................................. 32 1 32 8 min ........ 4

Lender’s Manifest ..................................................................................................... 9 331 2,975 5 min ........ 248

Loan Transfer Statement ......................................................................................... 32 265 8,480 10 min ...... 1,413

Borrower Status Request:

Borrowers .......................................................................................................... 12,180 1 12,180 10 min ...... 2,030

Employers ......................................................................................................... 7,550 1.613 12,180 5 min ........ 1,015

Total .............................................................................................................. 19,762 1.81 35,847 8 min ........ 4,710

Send comments to Patricia Royston,

HRSA Reports Clearance Officer, Room

14–36, Parklawn Building, 5600 Fishers

Lane, Rockville, MD 20857. Written

comments should be received within 60

days of this notice.

Dated: January 23, 1997

J. Henry Montes,

Director, Office of Policy and Information

Coordination.

[FR Doc. 97–2139 Filed 1–28–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4160–15–P

Program Announcement for Contracts

for the Disadvantaged Health

Professions Faculty Loan Repayment

Program for Fiscal Year 1997

The Health Resources and Services

Administration (HRSA) announces that

applications for contracts for fiscal year

(FY) 1997, for the Disadvantaged Health

Professions Faculty Loan Repayment

Program (FLRP) are now being accepted

under section 738(a) of the Public

Health Service Act (The Act).

In FY 1997, approximately $800,000

is available for competing applications

for the Disadvantaged Health

Professions Faculty Loan Repayment

Program. It is expected that 25 contracts

averaging $32,000 ($15,000 per year for

two years) will be supported with these

funds.

Purpose

The purpose of the Disadvantaged

Health Professions Faculty Loan

Repayment Program (FLRP), authorized

by section 738(a), is to attract

disadvantaged health professionals into

faculty positions in accredited health

professions schools. The program

provides a financial incentive for

degree-trained health professions

personnel from disadvantaged

backgrounds who will serve as members

of the faculties of those schools. The

FLRP is directed at those individuals

available to serve immediately or within

a short time as ‘‘new’’ full-time faculty

members. Loan repayment may be

provided only for an individual who has

not been a member of the faculty of any

school at any time during the 18-month

period preceding the date on which the

Secretary receives the request of the

individual for a repayment contract (i.e.,

‘‘new’’ faculty).

Section 738(b) makes available grants

and contracts with schools of medicine,

osteopathic medicine, dentistry,

veterinary medicine, optometry,

podiatric medicine, pharmacy, public

health, health administration, clinical