[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 189 (Thursday, September 30, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60417-60418]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-24530]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary

[Docket ID: DoD-2010-HA-0133]


Proposed Collection; Comment Request

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health 
Affairs, DoD.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance 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 extension 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 
proposed 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 by November 
29, 2010.

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, Room 3C843, 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 more information on this 
proposed information collection or to obtain a copy of the proposal and 
associated collection instruments, please write to the TRICARE 
Management Activity, Medical Benefits and Reimbursement Branch, Ann N. 
Fazzini, Aurora, CO 80011 or phone 303-676-3803.
    Title; Associated Form; and OMB Number: Diagnosis Related Groups 
(DRG) Reimbursement; OMB Control Number 0720-0017.
    Needs and Uses: The TRICARE/CHAMPUS contractors will use the 
information collected to reimburse hospitals for TRICARE/CHAMPUS share 
of capital and direct medical education costs. Respondents are 
institutional providers.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit.
    Annual Burden Hours: 4,993.
    Number of Respondents: 4,993.
    Responses per Respondent: 1.
    Average Burden per Response: 1 hour.
    Frequency: On occasion.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Summary of Information Collection

    The Department of Defense Authorization Act, 1984, Public Law 98-94 
amended Title 10, section 1079(j)(2)(A) of the U.S.C. and provided the 
Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniform Services (CHAMPUS) 
with the statutory authority to reimburse institutional providers based 
on diagnosis-related groups (DRGs). The CHAMPUS DRG-based payment 
system, except for children's hospitals (whose capital and direct 
medical education costs are incorporated in the children's hospital 
differential), who want to be reimbursed for allowed capital and direct 
medical education costs must submit a request for payment to the 
TRICARE/CHAMPUS contractor. The request allows TRICARE to collect the 
information necessary to properly reimburse hospitals for its share of 
these costs. The information can be submitted in any form, most likely 
in the form of a letter. The contractor will calculate the TRICARE/
CHAMPUS share of capital and direct medical educations costs and make a 
lump-sum payment to the hospital. The TRICARE/CHAMPUS DRG-based payment 
system is modeled on the Medicare Prospective Payment System (PPS) and 
was implemented on October 1, 1987. Initially, under 42 CFR 412.46 of 
the Medicare regulations, physicians were required to sign attestation 
and acknowledgment statements. These requirements were implemented to 
ensure a means of holding hospitals and

[[Page 60418]]

physicians accountable for the information they submit on the Medicare 
claim forms. Being modeled on the Medicare PPS, CHAMPUS also adopted 
these requirements. The physicians attestation and physician 
acknowledgment required by Medicare under 42 CFR 412.46 are also 
required for CHAMPUS as a condition for payment and may be satisfied by 
the same statements as required for Medicare, with substitution or 
addition of ``CHAMPUS'' when the word ``Medicare'' is used. Physicians 
sign a physician acknowledgement, maintained by the institution, at the 
time the physician is granted admitting privileges. This 
acknowledgement indicates the physician understands the importance of a 
correct medical record, and misrepresentation may be subject to 
penalties.

    Dated: September 10, 2010.
Patricia L. Toppings,
OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 2010-24530 Filed 9-29-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5001-06-P