[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 15 (Friday, January 23, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Page 3374]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-1380]


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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.
    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)--Extension

    The Health Education Assistance (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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                                                               Responses                                Total
              Type of respondent                 Number of        per         Total     Minutes per     burden
                                                respondents   respondent    responses     response      hours
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Borrower \1\..................................          117          1             117            5           10
Physician.....................................          117          1             117           30           59
Loan Holder...................................           20          5.85          117           10           20
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    Total.....................................          254  ............          351  ...........          89
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\1\ 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 within 60 days of this 
notice.

    Dated: January 15, 2004.
Tina M. Cheatham,
Acting Director, Division of Policy Review and Coordination.
[FR Doc. 04-1380 Filed 1-22-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165-15-P