Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 242 / Wednesday, December 17, 1997 / Notices 66119

Dated: December 10, 1997.

William K. Hubbard,

Associate Commissioner for Policy

Coordination.

[FR Doc. 97–32877 Filed 12–16–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4160–01–F

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND

HUMAN SERVICES

Health Care Financing Administration

[Document Identifier: HCFA–R–26]

Agency Information Collection

Activities: Proposed Collection;

Comment Request

AGENCY: Health Care Financing

Administration.

In compliance with the requirement

of section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the

Health Care Financing Administration

(HCFA), Department of Health and

Human Services, is publishing the

following summary of proposed

collections for public comment.

Interested persons are invited to send

comments regarding this burden

estimate or any other aspect of this

collection of information, including any

of the following subjects: (1) The

necessity and utility of the proposed

information collection for the proper

performance of the agency’s functions;

(2) the accuracy of the estimated

burden; (3) ways to enhance the quality,

utility, and clarity of the information to

be collected; and (4) the use of

automated collection techniques or

other forms of information technology to

minimize the information collection

burden.

Type of Information Collection

Request:

Extension of a currently approved

collection; Title of Information

Collection: Clinical Laboratory

Improvement Amendment (CLIA) and

the Information Collection

Requirements (ICRs) contained in the

Supporting Regulations 42 CFR 493.1–

2001; Form No.: HCFA–R–26 (OMB#

0938–0612); Use: The ICRs referenced in

42 CFR 493.1–.2001 outline the

requirements necessary to determine an

entities compliance with CLIA. CLIA

requires laboratories that perform

testing on human specimens to meet

performance requirements in order to be

certified by HHS. HHS conducts

inspections in order to determine a

laboratory’s compliance with the CLIA

requirements. CLIA implements

certificate, laboratory standards and

inspection requirements.; Frequency: As

needed; Affected Public: Individuals or

Households, Business or other for profit,

Not for profit institutions, Federal

Government, State, local or tribal

government; Number of Respondents:

149,700; Total Annual Responses:

631,459; Total Annual Hours: 9,133,625.

To obtain copies of the supporting

statement and any related forms for the

proposed paperwork collections

referenced above, E-mail your request,

including your address, phone number,

OMB number, and HCFA document

identifier, to Paperwork@hcfa.gov, or

call the Reports Clearance Office on

(410) 786–1326. Written comments and

recommendations for the proposed

information collections must be mailed

within 60 days of this notice directly to

the HCFA Paperwork Clearance Officer

designated at the following address:

HCFA, Office of Information Services,

Information Technology Investment

Management Group, Division of HCFA

Enterprise Standards, Attention: Louis

Blank, Room C2–26–17, 7500 Security

Boulevard, Baltimore, Maryland 21244–

1850.

Dated: December 5, 1997.

John P. Burke III,

HCFA Reports Clearance Officer, HCFA Office

of Information Services, Information

Technology Investment Management Group,

Division of HCFA Enterprise Standards.

[FR Doc. 97–32859 Filed 12–16–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4120–03–P

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND

HUMAN SERVICES

Health Care Financing Administration

Document Identifier: HCFA–R–205 and

HCFA–R–206

Emergency Clearance: Public

Information Collection Requirements

Submitted to the Office of Management

and Budget (OMB)

AGENCY: Health Care Financing

Administration.

In compliance with the requirement

of section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the

Health Care Financing Administration

(HCFA), Department of Health and

Human Services, is publishing the

following summary of proposed

collections for public comment.

Interested persons are invited to send

comments regarding this burden

estimate or any other aspect of this

collection of information, including any

of the following subjects: (1) The

necessity and utility of the proposed

information collection for the proper

performance of the agency’s functions;

(2) the accuracy of the estimated

burden; (3) ways to enhance the quality,

utility, and clarity of the information to

be collected; and (4) the use of

automated collection techniques or

other forms of information technology to

minimize the information collection

burden.

We are, however, requesting an

emergency review of the information

collections referenced below. In

compliance with the requirement of

section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork

Reduction Act of 1995, we have

submitted to the Office of Management

and Budget (OMB) the following

requirements for emergency review. We

are requesting an emergency review

because the collection of this

information is needed before the

expiration of the normal time limits

under OMB’s regulations at 5 CFR, Part

1320. This is necessary to ensure

compliance with section 111 of HIPAA

necessary to implement congressional

intent with respect to guaranteeing

availability of individual health

insurance coverage to certain

individuals with prior group coverage.

We cannot reasonably comply with the

normal clearance procedures because

public harm is likely to result because

eligible individuals will not receive the

health insurance protections under the

statute.

HCFA is requesting OMB review and

approval of this collection by 12/31/97,

with a 180-day approval period. Written

comments and recommendations will be

accepted from the public if received by

the individuals designated below by 12/

29/97. It should be noted that HCFA

will continue to consider and respond

as appropriate to the public comments

received in response to the 04/08/97

Federal Register notices requesting

public comment on the collections

referenced below. During this 180-day

period, we will publish a separate

Federal Register notice announcing the

initiation of an extensive 60-day agency

review and public comment period on

these requirements. We will submit the

requirements for OMB review and an

extension of this emergency approval.

Type of Information Request:

Extension, without change, of a

currently approved collection.

Title of Information Collection:

Individual Health Insurance. Reform:

Portability from Group to Individual

Coverage; Federal Rules for Access in

the Individual Market; State Alternative

Mechanisms to Federal Rules BPD–882–

IFC.

Form Number: HCFA–R–205 (OMB

approval #: 0938–0703).

Use: These information collection

requirements help ensure access to the

individual insurance market for certain

individuals and allows the States to