[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 43 (Friday, March 3, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11558-11559]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-5090]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE


Office of the Secretary; Proposed new Collection; Comment Request

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

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In accordance with section 3506 (c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork

[[Page 11559]]

Reduction Act of 1995, the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense 
for Health Affairs/TMA announces proposed new public information 
collection and seeks public comment on the provisions thereof. Comments 
are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed new 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 by May 2, 
2000.

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

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request more information on this 
proposed information collection, please write to the above address or 
call CAPT Charles Hostettler, Office of the Assistant Secretary of 
Defense (Health Affairs), TRICARE Management Activity, (703) 681-1740.
    Title; Associated Form; and OMB Number: TRICARE Pharmacy Redesign 
Pilot Program Enrollment Application Form X407.
    Needs and Uses: The collection instrument serves as an application 
form for enrollment in the TRICARE Pharmacy Redesign Pilot Program. The 
information collected will be used to provide the Managed Care Support 
Contractors, contracted to supply administrative support, with the data 
to determine beneficiary eligibility, other health insurance liability, 
and premium payment.
    Affected Public: Individuals or household.
    Annual Burden Hours: 333.
    Number of Respondents: 2,000.
    Responses Per Respondent: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 10 minutes.
    Frequency: On occasion.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

A. Background

    In June 1998, the General Accounting Office (GAO) testified before 
the Subcommittee on Military Personnel, Committee on Armed Services, 
House of Representatives, that over the past several years, concern 
about the costs and quality of DoD's pharmacy benefit has surfaced. GAO 
recommended that DoD establish a more system-wide approach to managing 
its pharmacy benefit by establishing a uniform, incentive-based 
formulary across its pharmacy programs. Furthermore, GAO recommended 
that a system-wide pharmacy benefit be granted to Medicare-eligible 
retirees who are excluded from the contractor retail network and NMOP 
pharmacy systems.
    In response to the June 1998 GAO report, the FY 1999 Strom Thurmond 
National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal Year 1999 for Fiscal year 
1999 (P.L. 105-261) directed DoD to develop a system-wide pharmacy 
redesign plan and to implement the system-wide redesigned benefit at 
two sites for Medicare-eligible beneficiaries.
    An eligible beneficiary for the pharmacy redesign demonstration is 
a member or former member of the uniformed services as described in 
section 1074(b) of title 10; a dependent of the member described in 
section 1076(a)(2)(B) or 1076(b) of title 10; or a dependent of a 
member of the uniformed services who died while on active duty for a 
period of more than 30 days, who meets the following requirements: (a) 
65 years of age or older, (b) entitled to Medicare Part A, (c) enrolled 
in Medicare part B, and (d) resides in an implementation area.
    The pharmacy redesign implantation will be evaluated by an 
independent entity outside the Department of Defense. The evaluation 
shall include: (a) An analysis of the cost of the pharmacy redesign 
implementation under TRICARE, and also to the eligible individuals who 
participate in the demonstration, (b) an assessment of the eligible 
beneficiaries' satisfaction with the redesigned pharmacy benefit, (c) 
an assessment of the effect, if any, on military medical readiness, (d) 
a description of the rate of participation, and (e) an evaluation of 
any other matters that the Department considers appropriate.
    The DoD component responsible for the conduct of the project is the 
TRICARE Management Activity.

    Dated: February 28, 2000.
Patricia Toppings,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 00-5090 Filed 3-2-00; 8:45am]
BILLING CODE 5001-10-M