[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 162 (Friday, August 21, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44847-44848]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-22499]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary


Proposed Collection; Comment Request

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: 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 extension of a public 
information collection and seeks public comment on the provisions 
thereof. Comments are invited on: (a) whether the proposed extension of 
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 October 20, 
1998.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations on the information 
collection should be sent to Office of the Assistant Secretary of 
Defense (Health Affairs) TRICARE Management Activity, Skyline Five, 
Suite 810, 5111 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, Virginia 22041-3206.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request more information on this 
proposed information collection, please write to the above address or 
call Anne

[[Page 44848]]

Giese, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Health Affairs), 
TRICARE Management Activity at (703) 681-1757 Ext 5658.

    Title; Associated Form; and OMB Number: TRICARE Senior Prime 
Enrollment Application Form; OMB No. 0720-0018.
    Needs and Uses: This information collection is a requirement for 
TRICARE Senior Prime, a joint demonstration project of military managed 
health care conducted by the Department of Defense (DoD) and the 
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Under this 
demonstration, authorized by the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, DoD will 
offer Medicare-eligible military retirees and their dependents 
enrollment in a DoD-operated managed health care program. Medicare-
eligible beneficiaries will be offered the opportunity to enroll at 
selected Medical Treatment Facilities (MTFs) in a managed care program 
modeled after the existing TRICARE Prime benefit. Medicare will 
reimburse DoD on a capitated basis for health care services it provides 
to the enrolled beneficiaries. Dual-eligible beneficiaries seeking 
enrollment in the program will be required to fill out an enrollment 
application which will provide information pertaining to eligibility 
for the program, personal information for identification purposes, and 
information on other health insurance.
    Affected Public: Individuals or household.
    Annual Burden Hours: 25,536 hours.
    Number of Respondents: 77,381.
    Responses Per Respondent: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 20 minutes.
    Frequency: On occasion.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Currently, Medicare-eligible military 
retirees are not eligible to participate in TRICARE, DoD's triple 
option health care benefit for military retirees and active duty 
dependents. Their participation in the Military Health System (MHS) is 
limited to receiving health care on a space-available basis at MTFs. 
The TRICARE Senior Prime demonstration project seeks to show that a 
DoD-operated managed care program can provide health care services to 
beneficiaries eligible for both military health care and Medicare more 
effectively and efficiently than under the current DoD-operated system.

    Dated: August 14, 1998.
Patricia L. Toppings,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 98-22499 Filed 8-20-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5000-04-M