[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 229 (Thursday, November 29, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67595-67596]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-5858]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary

[Docket No. DOD-2007-HA-0116]


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)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995, the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for 
Health Affairs announces the proposed revision of a public information 
collection and seeks public comment on the provisions thereof. 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 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: Consideration will be given to all comments received January 28, 
2008.

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 information on this 
proposed information collection or to obtain a copy of the proposal and 
associated collection instruments, please write to the Office of the 
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs (OASD), TRICARE 
Management Activity (TMA), HPA&E, Attn: Richard R. Bannick, Ph.D., 5111 
Leesburg Pike, Suite 810, Falls Church, VA 22041-3206.
    Title and OMB Number: Surveys on Viability of TRICARE Standard and 
TRICARE Extra; OMB Control Number 0720-0031.
    Needs and Uses: As mandated by Congress, confidential surveys of 
civilian health care providers and beneficiaries who use TRICARE will 
be completed in TRICARE market areas within the United States. The 
provider survey will be used to determine how many providers accept new 
TRICARE Standard patients in each market. area. Surveys will be 
conducted in at least 40 locations in the United States each fiscal 
year from 2008 to 2011. Twenty locations will be TRICARE PRIME Service 
Areas and twenty locations will be geographic areas where TRICARE Prime 
is not offered.
    Affected Public: Individuals and households.
    Annual Burden Hours: 3,333.
    Number of Respondents: 40,000.
    Responses per Respondent: 1.
    Average Burden per Response: 5 minutes.
    Frequency: On occasion.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Summary of Information Collection

    The Health Program Analysis and Evaluation Directorate (HPA&E) 
under the authority of the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense 
(Health Affairs)/TRICARE Management Activity

[[Page 67596]]

(OASD(HA)/TMA) will undertake an evaluation of the DoD's TRICARE 
Standard healthcare option. HPA&E will collect and analyze data that 
are necessary to meet the requirements outlined in section 702 of the 
Senate version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for 
FY2008.
    Activities include the collection and analyses of data obtained 
confidentially from civilian physicians (M.D.s & D.O.s) and at least 
psychologists within U.S. geographic areas. Specifically, mail surveys 
with telephone follow-up of civilian providers will be conducted in the 
TRICARE market areas to determine how many healthcare providers are 
accepting new patients under TRICARE Standard in each market area. The 
surveys will be conducted in at least 40 TRICARE geographic areas in 
the United States each fiscal year through and including fiscal year 
2011. Representatives of TRICARE beneficiaries and selected provider 
groups will be consulted to identify potential locations.
    In addition, section 702 of the FY 2008 National Defense 
Authorization Act (NDAA) requires the Department to conduct annual 
surveys of beneficiary access experience and the availability to access 
civilian providers under TRICARE Standard and Extra program through FY 
2011. These issues address the interests of Congress in reconciliation 
of responses of providers and beneficiaries who use TRICARE.
    Surveys of civilian healthcare providers (M.D.s and D.O.s) and 
beneficiaries eligible for TRICARE Standard/Extra care will be 
conducted in at least 40 TRICARE Prime service areas each year. The 
objective of this effort is to determine if TRICARE beneficiaries have 
difficulty in finding health care providers willing to provide services 
under Standard or Extra, and the extent to which providers in the area 
participate in Standard/Extra.

    Dated: November 15, 2007.
Patricia L. Toppings,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 07-5858 Filed 11-28-07; 8:45 am]
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