[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 134 (Monday, July 14, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41564-41565]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-17720]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary


Reinstatement of an Expired Collection; Comment Request

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for 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 (Health 
Affairs) announces the proposed reinstatement of a public information

[[Page 41565]]

collection and seeks public comment on the provisions thereof. Comments 
are invited on: (a) Whether the proposal 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 September 
12, 2003.

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 (Operations 
Directorate), 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 Lt. Col. James Whitton, Office of the Assistant Secretary of 
Defense (Health Affairs), TRICARE Management Activity at (703) 681-
0039.
    Title; Associated Form; and OMB Number: TRICARE Prime Enrollment 
Application/PCM Change Form and TRICARE Prime Disenrollment 
Application, OMB No. 0720-0008.
    Needs and Uses: These collection instruments serve as applications 
for the enrollment, disenrollment and Primary Care Manager (PCM) Change 
for the Department of Defense's TRICARE Prime program established in 
accordance with Title 10 U.S.C. Section 1099 (which calls for a 
healthcare enrollment system). Monthly payment options for retiree 
enrollment fees for TRICARE Prime are established in accordance with 
Title 10 U.S.C. Section 1097a(c). The information collected on the 
TRICARE Prime Enrollment Application/PCM Change Form provides the 
necessary data to determine beneficiary eligibility, to identify the 
selection of a health care option, and to change the designated PCM 
when the beneficiary is relocating or merely requests a local PCM 
change, in accordance with the National Defense Authorization Act for 
Fiscal Year 2001 (Pub. L. 106-398), Section 723(b)(E). The TRICARE 
Prime Disenrollment Application serves to disenroll an enrollee from 
TRICARE Prime on a voluntary basis.
    Affected Public: Individuals or household.
    Annual Burden Hours: 41,260.
    Number of Respondents: 253,200.
    Responses per Respondent: 1.
    Average Burden per Response: TRICARE Prime Enrollment Application/
PCM Change Form: 20 minutes or .33% of an hour; TRICARE Disenrollment 
Application: 5 minutes or .083% of an hour.
    Frequency: On occasion.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Summary of Information Collection

    The Department established TRICARE Prime as an enrollment option to 
give CHAMPUS-eligible beneficiaries a DoD-sponsored military managed 
care program. In order to simplify the collection of information on 
enrollment applications for TRICARE Prime, the existing information 
collection is being modified to create two separate forms: Initial 
enrollment/PCM changes and disenrollment. The utilization of these two 
forms will decrease the total amount of time to complete forms by 
respondents and will streamline the enrollment/PCM change and 
disenrollment process. In order to implement this program, it is 
necessary that certain beneficiaries electing to enroll, change PCM or 
disenroll complete an enrollment application/PCM change form or 
disenrollment. Completion of these forms is an essential element of the 
TRICARE program.

    Dated: July 8, 2003.
Patricia L. Toppings,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 03-17720 Filed 7-11-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5001-08-M