Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 157 / Thursday, August 14, 1997 / Notices 43541

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND

HUMAN SERVICES

Health Care Financing Administration

[ORD–102–N]

New and Pending Demonstration

Project Proposals Submitted Pursuant

to Section 1115(a) of the Social

Security Act: June 1997

AGENCY: Health Care Financing

Administration (HCFA).

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: One new proposal for

Medicaid demonstration projects was

submitted to the Department of Health

and Human Services during the month

of June 1997 under the authority of

section 1115 of the Social Security Act.

No proposals were approved,

disapproved, or withdrawn during that

time period. (This notice can be

accessed on the Internet at http://

www.hcfa.gov/ord/sect1115.htm.)

COMMENTS: We will accept written

comments on this proposal. We will, if

feasible, acknowledge receipt of all

comments, but we will not provide

written responses to comments. We

will, however, neither approve nor

disapprove any new proposal for at least

30 days after the date of this notice to

allow time to receive and consider

comments. Direct comments as

indicated below.

ADDRESSES: Mail correspondence to:

Susan Anderson, Office of Research and

Demonstrations, Health Care Financing

Administration, Mail Stop C3–11–07,

7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD

21244–1850.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Susan Anderson, (410) 786–3996.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

Under section 1115 of the Social

Security Act (the Act), the Department

of Health and Human Services (HHS)

may consider and approve research and

demonstration proposals with a broad

range of policy objectives. These

demonstrations can lead to

improvements in achieving the

purposes of the Act.

In exercising her discretionary

authority, the Secretary has developed a

number of policies and procedures for

reviewing proposals. On September 27,

1994, we published a notice in the

Federal Register (59 FR 49249) that

specified: (1) The principles that we

ordinarily will consider when

approving or disapproving

demonstration projects under the

authority in section 1115(a) of the Act;

(2) the procedures we expect States to

use in involving the public in the

development of proposed demonstration

projects under section 1115; and (3) the

procedures we ordinarily will follow in

reviewing demonstration proposals. We

are committed to a thorough and

expeditious review of State requests to

conduct such demonstrations.

As part of our procedures, we publish

a notice in the Federal Register with a

monthly listing of all new submissions,

pending proposals, approvals,

disapprovals, and withdrawn proposals.

Proposals submitted in response to a

grant solicitation or other competitive

process are reported as received during

the month that grant or bid is awarded,

so as to prevent interference with the

awards process.

II. Listing of New, Pending, Approved,

Disapproved, and Withdrawn

Proposals for the Month of June 1997

A. Comprehensive Health Reform

Programs

1. New Proposals

No new proposals were received

during the month of June.

2. Pending Proposal

Pending proposals for the month of

May 1997 referenced in the Federal

Register of July 17, 1997 (62 FR 38314)

remain unchanged, except for the

addition of the following proposal.

Demonstration Title/State: ARKids

First Program—Arkansas Description:

The State is proposing to expand

Medicaid eligibility and access to health

care services for children age 18 and

under with gross family income at or

below 200 percent of the Federal

poverty level. The intent of the waiver

is to cover all children not otherwise

Medicaid eligible at this income level

statewide and to expand access to

preventative health care.

Date Received: May 16, 1997.

State Contact: Binnie Alberius,

Arkansas Department of Human

Services, Division of Medical Services,

Donaghey Plaza South, P.O. Box 1437,

Little Rock, AK 72203–1437, (501) 682–

8361.

Federal Project Officer: Joan Peterson,

Ph.D., Health Care Financing

Administration, Office of Research and

Demonstrations, Office of State Health

Reform Demonstrations, Mail Stop C3–

18–26, 7500 Security Boulevard,

Baltimore, MD 21244–1850.

3. Approved Conceptual Proposals

(Award of Waivers Pending)

No conceptual proposals were

approved during the month of June.

4. Approved, Disapproved, and

Withdrawn Proposals

No proposals were approved,

disapproved, or withdrawn during the

month of June.

B. Other Section 1115 Demonstration

Proposals

1. New Proposal

The following proposal was received

during the month of June.

Demonstration Title/State: MaineNet—Integrated Managed Health Care

Plans—Maine.

Description: The Maine-Net project is

a two-site demonstration designed to

test the efficiency and effectiveness of

financing and delivery systems which

integrate primary, acute, and long-term

care services under a combination of

Medicaid capitation payments,

Medicare fee-for-service, and/or primary

care case management. Participants will

be both Medicaid only and dually

eligible Medicare/Medicaid

beneficiaries who are 65 or older or

physically disabled. Enrollment will be

mandatory.

Date Received: June 2, 1997.

State Contact: Christine Gianopoulos,

Bureau of Elder and Adult Services,

Maine Department of Human Services,

35 Anthony Avenue, State House

Station 11, Augusta, Maine 04333–0011,

(207) 624–5335.

Federal Project Officer: Kay

Lewandowski, Health Care Financing

Administration, Office of Strategic

Planning, Mail Stop C3–23–04, 7500

Security Boulevard, Baltimore,

Maryland 21244–1850.

Demonstration Title/State: Mass

Health Senior Care Options—

Massachusetts.

Description: The Massachusetts

Division of Medical Assistance

submitted a demonstration waiver

application for both Medicare (Section

222) and Medicaid (Section 1115)

programs. The application would

establish integrated care to persons 65

years of age and older who are eligible

for both Medicare and Medicaid through

voluntary enrollment in Senior Care

Organizations (SCO). SCOs are expected

to be available statewide. In addition to

Federal demonstration waivers,

enabling legislation in Massachusetts is

also necessary.

Date Received: June 12, 1997.

State Contact: Kate Willrich, Managed

Care Program Development, Division of

Medical Assistance, 600 Washington

Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02111,

(617) 210–5466.

Federal Project Officer: William D.

Clark, Health Care Financing

Administration, Office of Strategic
43542 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 157 / Thursday, August 14, 1997 / Notices

Planning, Mail Stop C3–21–06, 7500

Security Boulevard, Baltimore,

Maryland 21244–1850.

2. Pending, Approved, Disapproved,

and Withdrawn Proposals

No proposals approved, disapproved,

or withdrawn during the month of June.

Pending proposals for the month of

May 1997 referenced in the Federal

Register of July 17, 1997 (62 FR 38314)

remain unchanged.

III. Requests for Copies of a Proposal

Requests for copies of a specific

Medicaid proposal should be made to

the State contact listed for the specific

proposal. If further help or information

is needed, inquiries should be directed

to HCFA at the address above.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

Program, No. 93.779; Health Financing

Research, Demonstrations, and Experiments)

Dated: August 6, 1997.

Barbara Cooper,

Acting Director, Office of Research and

Demonstrations.

[FR Doc. 97–21439 Filed 8–13–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4120–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND

HUMAN SERVICES

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 44, 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:

Application Form—0915–0038—

Extension, No Change

The Health Education Assistance

Loan (HEAL) program provides

federally-insured loans to students in

schools of allopathic medicine,

osteopathic medicine, dentistry,

veterinary medicine, optometry,

podiatric medicine, pharmacy, public

health, allied health, or chiropractic,

and graduate students in health

administration or clinical psychology.

Eligible lenders, such as banks, savings

and loan associations, credit unions,

pension funds, State agencies, HEAL

schools, and insurance companies,

make HEAL loans which are insured by

the Federal Government against loss due

to borrowers’ death, disability,

bankruptcy, and default. The basic

purpose of the program is to assure the

availability of funds for loans to eligible

students who need to borrow money to

pay for their educational costs.

The HEAL program is being phased

out and no new loans will be made after

September 30, 1998 unless

reauthorization is enacted. We are,

however, requesting a 3-year extension

of the OMB approval of the HEAL

Application Form HRSA–700 because

lenders will continue to use this form

for consolidation loans through FY

2000. Students use the application to

apply for HEAL loans (through FY 98)

and consolidation of loans, schools use

the application to determine a student’s

eligibility and maximum approval

amount of each loan (through FY 98

only), and lenders use the application to

determine student eligibility and the

amount of the installment or

disbursement to be given to the

borrower, and to process consolidation

loans.

The estimate of burden for the application form for FY 98 is as follows:

Type of respondent Number of

respondents

Responses

per respondent

Total number of responsesBurden per

response

(minutes)

Total burden (hours)

Applicants ................................................................................................. 8,230 1 8,230 25 3,429

Schools ..................................................................................................... 190 41 7,730 32 4,123

Lenders ..................................................................................................... 11 748 8,230 35 4,801

Total ............................................................................................... 8,431 .................... 24,190 .................... 12,353

The estimate of burden for the application form for FY 1999 and 2000 (for consolidation loans only) is as follows:

Type of respondent Nunber of

respondents

Responses

per respondent

Total number of responses

Burden per

hour response

(minutes)

Total burden (hours)

Applicants ................................................................................................. 500 1 500 25 208

Lenders ..................................................................................................... 11 45 500 35 292

Total ............................................................................................... 511 .................... 1,000 .................... 500

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.