Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2009/06/25/E9-14966/foreign-medical-program-of-the-department-of-veterans-affairs-hospital-care-and-medical-services-in
Timestamp: 2018-09-22 20:51:39
Document Index: 273355766

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 17', '§\u200917', '§\u200917', '§\u200917', '§\u200917', '§\u200917', '§\u200917', '§\u200917', '§\u200917', '§\u200917', '§\u200917', '§\u200917']

Federal Register :: Foreign Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs-Hospital Care and Medical Services in Foreign Countries
A Rule by the Veterans Affairs Department on 06/25/2009
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/E9-14966 https://www.federalregister.gov/d/E9-14966
This document amends Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical regulations applicable to VA's Foreign Medical Program, Hospital Care and Medical Services in Foreign Countries. This rule is intended to change provisions concerning the location for filing Foreign Medical Program claims and delegations of authority for adjudicating those claims. It also corrects an obsolete regulatory citation. These changes are made for accuracy.
Richard M. Trabert, Policy Management Division (741/PMD), VA Health Administration Center, P.O. Box 65020, Denver, CO 80206-9020; (303) 331-7549. (This is not a toll-free number.)
This document amends certain provisions concerning VA's Foreign Medical Program (FMP) in VA's medical regulations in 38 CFR part 17. The FMP is a VA health benefits program designed for a veteran who is residing or traveling outside of the United States, if the veteran requires treatment for a VA-rated service-connected disability or any disability associated with and aggravating a service-connected disability; or if the veteran requires care for certain reasons during participation in a rehabilitation program under 38 U.S.C. chapter 31.
This rule amends 38 CFR 17.35, 17.125, and 17.141.
We are amending § 17.35, “Hospital care and medical services in foreign countries,” to correct an obsolete reference in § 17.35(b) to 38 CFR 17.48(j)(2). The reference is corrected to § 17.47(i)(2) to reflect the redesignation of that paragraph pursuant to two earlier final rules (see 61 FR 21964, 21965 (May 13, 1996); 65 FR 54207, 54218 (Oct. 6, 1999)).
This rule amends § 17.125, “Where to file claims,” to reflect a change in the mailing address for FMP claims sent to the Health Administration Center in Denver, Colorado. It also amends § 17.125, as well as § 17.141, “Authority to adjudicate foreign reimbursement claims,” to remove provisions that distinguish the filing and adjudication of FMP claims for services rendered in Canada from those claims for services rendered in other foreign countries. Currently, these provisions instruct claimants to file claims for services rendered in Canada with the VA Medical Center in White River Junction, Vermont, and reflect a delegation of authority to that office for adjudication of those claims. Current § 17.125 provides that claims for services rendered in other foreign countries (except the Philippines) must be mailed to the Denver Health Administration Center and § 17.141 reflects a delegation of authority to that office for adjudication of those claims. This rule removes the distinction between Canada and other foreign countries, thereby requiring claims under the FMP for services rendered in Canada to be mailed to and adjudicated by the Health Administration Center.
This document merely corrects a citation to a regulatory paragraph to reflect that paragraph's redesignation and makes other changes pertaining to agency management, organization, and procedure. Accordingly, its publication as a final rule is pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553, which exempts such a document from the notice-and-comment requirements of section 553.Start Printed Page 30228
The initial and final regulatory flexibility analyses requirements of sections 603 and 604 of the Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C. 601-612, are not applicable to this rule, because a notice of proposed rulemaking is not required for this rule. Even so, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs hereby certifies that this regulatory amendment will not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities as they are defined in the Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C. 601-612. Individuals eligible for FMP benefits are widely dispersed geographically and any effect on a small entity from the provisions of this rule will be miniscule. Therefore, this final rule is also exempt pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 605(b) from the initial and final regulatory flexibility analyses requirements of section 603 and 604.
The program that this rule affects has the following Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number and title: 64.009, Veterans Medical Care Benefits.
2. Amend § 17.35(b) by removing “
3. Amend § 17.125 by:
a. In paragraph (a), removing “, and” at the end of the paragraph and adding in its place “.”.
b. In paragraph (b), removing “, and” at the end of the paragraph and adding in its place “.”.
c. Removing paragraph (c) and redesignating paragraphs (d) and (e) as paragraphs (c) and (d), respectively.
d. In newly-redesignated paragraph (c), removing “P.O. Box 65023, Denver, CO 80206-3023” and adding in its place “P.O. Box 469063, Denver, CO 80246-9063”.
4. Amend § 17.141 by removing “Canada which will be referred to the VA Medical Center in White River Junction, VT, and”.
[FR Doc. E9-14966 Filed 6-24-09; 8:45 am]