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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 247 (Thursday, December 26, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 105177-105178]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-30639]

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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

[OMB Control No. 2900-0629]

Agency Information Collection Activity: Application for Extended 
Care Services

AGENCY: Veterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Department of Veterans 
Affairs (VA), is announcing an opportunity for public comment on the 
proposed collection of certain information by the agency. Under the 
Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, Federal agencies are required to 
publish notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed 
collection of information, including each proposed extension of a 
currently approved collection, and allow 60 days for public comment in 
response to the notice.

DATES:  Comments must be received on or before February 24, 2025.

ADDRESSES: Comments must be submitted through www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 
    Program-Specific information: Rebecca Mimnall, 202-695-9434, 
[email protected].
    VA PRA information: Maribel Aponte, 202-461-8900, 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the PRA of 1995, Federal agencies must 
obtain approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for each 
collection of information they conduct or sponsor. This request for 
comment is being made pursuant to Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA.
    With respect to the following collection of information, VHA 
invites comments on: (1) whether the proposed collection of information 
is necessary

[[Page 105178]]

for the proper performance of VHA's functions, including whether the 
information will have practical utility; (2) the accuracy of VHA's 
estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information; (3) 
ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to 
be collected; and (4) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of 
information on respondents, including through the use of automated 
collection techniques or the use of other forms of information 
technology.
    Title: Application for Extended Care Services (VA Form 10-10EC).
    OMB Control Number: 2900-0629. https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRASearch (Once at this link, you can enter the OMB Control Number to 
find the historical versions of this Information Collection).
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Abstract: Title 38 U.S.C. chapter 17 authorizes VA to provide 
hospital care, medical services, domiciliary care, and nursing home 
care to eligible Veterans. Title 38 U.S.C. 1705 requires VA to design, 
establish, and operate a system of annual patient enrollment in 
accordance with a series of stipulated priorities. A consequence of 
this is that many groups of Veterans who are in a lower priority group 
(WWI Veterans, Veterans with disabilities rated as 0% service-connected 
seeking treatment for other than their service-connected conditions, 
Veterans exposed to a toxic substance, radiation, or environmental 
hazard and nonservice-connected Veterans) may request that they be 
allowed to be income tested in order to gain a higher priority. Title 
38 U.S.C. 1722 establishes eligibility assessment procedures for cost-
free VA medical care, based on income levels, which will determine 
whether nonservice-connected and 0% service-connected non-compensable 
Veterans are able to defray the necessary expenses of care for 
nonservice-connected conditions. Title 38 U.S.C. 1722A establishes the 
eligibility assessment procedures, based on income levels, for 
determining Veterans' eligibility for cost-free medications. Title 38 
U.S.C. 1710B defines the procedures for establishing eligibility for 
cost-free Extended Care benefits. Title 38 U.S.C. 1729 authorizes VA to 
recover from Veterans' health insurance carriers the cost of care 
furnished for their nonservice-connected conditions.
    VA Form 10-10EC, Application for Extended Care Services, is used to 
collect financial information necessary to determine a Veteran's 
copayment obligation for extended care services, also known as long 
term care (LTC). The 10-10EC design has been revised to clarify the 
instructions and make it easier to understand and complete the form. 
However, there are no changes to the anticipated annual number of 
responses or burden hours for this information collection.
    Affected Public: Individuals or Households.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 3,000 hours.
    Estimated Average Burden per Respondent: 90 minutes.
    Frequency of Response: Once annually.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 2,000.

(Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.)

Maribel Aponte,
VA PRA Clearance Officer, Office of Enterprise and Integration/Data 
Governance Analytics, Department of Veterans Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2024-30639 Filed 12-23-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8320-01-P
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