[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 19 (Wednesday, January 29, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4451-4452]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-1947]



[[Page 4451]]

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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary


Proposed Collection; Comment Request

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

ACTION: Notice.

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    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 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 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 March 
31, 2003.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations on the information 
collection should be sent to TRICARE Management Activity, Medical 
Benefits and Reimbursement Systems, 16401 East Centretch Parkway, ATTN: 
David Bennett, Aurora, CO 80011-9043.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request more information on this 
proposed information collection, please write to the above address or 
call TRICARE Management Activity, Medical Benefits and Reimbursement 
Systems, at (303) 676-3494.
    Title; Associated Form; and OMB Number: Application for TRICARE-
Provider Status: Corporate Services Provider.
    Needs and Uses: The information collection will allow eligible 
providers to apply for Corporate Services Provider status under the 
TRICARE program.
    Affected Public: Businesses or other for-profit; not-for-profit 
institutions.
    Annual Burden Hours: 333.
    Number of Respondents: 1,000.
    Responses for Respondent: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 20 minutes.
    Frequency: On occasion.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Summary of Information Collection

    On March 10, 1999, TRICARE Management Activity (TMA), formerly 
known as OCHAMPUS, published a finale rule in the Federal Register (64 
FR 11765), creating a fourth class of TRICARE providers consisting of 
freestanding corporations and foundations that render principally 
professional ambulatory or in-home care and technical diagnostic 
procedures. The intent of the rule was not to create additional 
benefits that ordinarily would not be covered under TRICARE if provided 
by a more traditional health care delivery system, but rather to allow 
those services which would otherwise be allowed except for an 
individual provider's affiliation with a freestanding corporate 
facility. The addition of the corporate class will recognize the 
current range of providers within today's health care delivery 
structure, and give beneficiaries access to another segment of the 
health care delivery industry. Corporate services providers must be 
approved for Medicare payment, or when Medicare approval status is not 
required, be accredited by a qualified accreditation organization to 
gain provider authorization status under TRICARE. Corporate services 
providers must also enter into a participation agreement which will be 
sent out as part of the initial authorization process. The 
participation agreement will ensure that TRICARE determined allowable 
payments, combined with the cost-share/copayment, deductible, and other 
health insurance amounts, will be accepted by the provider as payment 
in full.
    The Application for TRICARE-Provider Status: Corporate Services 
Provider, will collect the necessary information to ensure that the 
conditions are met for authorization as a TRICARE corporate services 
provider: i.e., the provider (1) is a corporation or a foundation, but 
not a professional corporation or professional association; (2) 
provides services and related supplies of a type rendered by TRICARE 
individual professional providers or diagnostic technical services; (3) 
is approved for Medicare payment or when Medicare approval status is 
not required, is accredited by a qualified accreditation organization; 
and (4) has entered into a participation agreement approved by the 
Executive Director, TMA or a designee.
    The collected information will be used by TRICARE contractors to 
process claims and verify authorized provider status. Verification 
involves collecting and reviewing copies of the provider's licenses, 
certificates, accreditation documents, etc. If the criteria are met, 
the provider is granted TRICARE-authorization status. The documentation 
and information are collected when: (1) A provider requests permission 
to become a TRICARE-authorized provider; (2) a claim is filed for care 
received from a provider who is not listed on the contractors' computer 
listing of authorized providers; or (3) when a former TRICARE-
authorized provider requests reinstatement.
    The contractors develop the forms used to gather information based 
on TRICARE conditions for participation listed above. Without the 
collection of this information, contractors cannot determine if the 
provider meets TRICARE authorization requirements for corporate 
services providers. If the contractor is unable to verify that a 
provider meets these authorization requirements, the contractor may not 
reimburse either the provider or the beneficiary for the provider's 
health care services.
    To reduce the reporting burden to a minimum, TRICARE has carefully 
selected the information requested from respondents. Only that 
information which has been deemed absolutely essential is being 
requested. If necessary, contractors may verify credentials with 
Medicare, JCAHO and other national organizations by telephone. TRICARE 
is also participating with Medicare in the development of a National 
Provider System which will eliminate duplication of provider 
certification data collection among Federal government agencies.
    TRICARE contractors are required to maintain a computer listing of 
all providers that have submitted the appropriate authorization 
information and documentation. To avoid duplicate inquiries, the 
contractors must search the computer provider listing before requesting 
documentation from providers.. Since the providers affected by this 
information collection generally have not previously been eligible to 
be authorized providers, TRICARE contractors will have no information 
on file. The providers will have to submit the information requested on 
the data collection form (Application for TRICARE-Providers Status: 
Corporate Services Provider) in order to obtain provider authorization 
status under TRICARE.
    The information will usually be collected from each respondent only 
once. It is estimated that there will be approximately 3,000 applicants 
over an initial 3 year collection period or 1,000 respondents per year. 
After the initial three years of collection, it is estimated

[[Page 4452]]

that annual number of respondents will decline to less than 100. 
TRICARE will request the provider authorization documentation and 
information when the provider asks to become TRICARE-authorized or when 
a claim is filed for a new provider's services. If after a provider has 
been authorized by a contractor, no claims are filed during a two-year 
period of time, the provider's information will be placed in the 
inactive file. To reactivate a file, the provider must verify that the 
information is still correct, or supply new or changed information. The 
total first year reporting burden is estimated to be 333\1/3\ hours.

    Dated: January 21, 2003.
Patricia L. Toppings,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 03-1947 Filed 1-28-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5001-08-M