[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 230 (Wednesday, November 29, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71111-71112]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-30454]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Health Resources and Services Administration
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection:
Comment Request
In compliance with the requirement for opportunity for public
comment on proposed data collection projects (section 3506(c)(2)(A) of
Title 44, United States Code, as amended by the Paperwork Reduction Act
of 1995, Public Law 104-13), the Health Resources and Services
Administration (HRSA) publishes periodic summaries of proposed projects
being developed for submission to OMB under the Paperwork Reduction Act
of 1995. To request more information on the proposed project or to
obtain a copy of the data collection plans and draft instruments, call
the HRSA Reports Clearance Officer on (301) 443-1129.
[[Page 71112]]
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 collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality,
utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways
to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents,
including through the use of automated collection techniques or other
forms of information technology.
Proposed Project: The Health Education Assistance Loan (HEAL)
Program: Physician's Certification of Borrower's Total and
Permanent Disability Form (OMB No. 0915-0204)--Revision
The Health Education Assistance Loan (HEAL) program provided
federally-insured loans to students in schools of allopathic medicine,
osteopathic medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, optometry,
podiatric medicine, pharmacy, public health, allied health, or
chiropractic, and graduate students in health administration or
clinical psychology through September 30, 1998. Eligible lenders, such
as banks, savings and loan associations, credit unions, pension funds,
State agencies, HEAL schools, and insurance companies make new
refinanced HEAL loans which are insured by the Federal Government
against loss due to borrower's death, disability, bankruptcy, and
default. The basic purpose of the program was to assure the
availability of funds for loans to eligible students who needed to
borrow money to pay for their educational loans. Currently, the program
refinances previous HEAL loans, monitors the federal liability, and
assists in default prevention activities. The HEAL borrower, the
borrower's physician, and the holder of the loan completes the
Physician's Certification form to certify that the HEAL borrower meets
the total and permanent disability provisions.
The Department uses this form to obtain detailed information about
disability claims which includes the following: (1) The borrower's
consent to release medical records to the Department of Health and
Human Services and to the holder of the borrower's HEAL loans, (2)
pertinent information supplied by the certifying physician, (3) the
physician's certification that the borrower is unable to engage in any
substantial gainful activity because of a medically determinable
impairment that is expected to continue for a long and indefinite
period of time or to result in death, and (4) information from the
lender on the unpaid balance. Failure to submit the required
documentation will result in disapproval of a disability claim.
The estimate of burden for the Physician's Certification form is as
follows:
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Minutes per
Type of respondent Number of Responses per Total response Total burden
respondents respondent responses (min) hours
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Borrower*....................... 117 1 117 5 10
Physician....................... 117 1 117 30 59
Loan Holder..................... 20 5.85 117 10 20
Total..................... 254 351 89
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*Includes 2 categories of borrowers requesting disability waivers: (1) whose loans have previously defaulted and
(2) whose loans have not defaulted.
Send comments to Susan G. Queen, Ph.D., HRSA Reports Clearance
Officer, Room 14-33, Parklawn Building, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville,
MD 20857. Written comments should be received before December 29, 2000.
Dated: November 22, 2000.
James J. Corrigan,
Associate Administrator for Management and Program Support.
[FR Doc. 00-30454 Filed 11-28-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-15-P