[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 58 (Monday, March 28, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15636-15637]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-5972]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB 
Review; Comment Request

    Periodically, the Health Resources and Services Administration 
(HRSA) publishes abstracts of information collection requests under 
review by the

[[Page 15637]]

Office of Management and Budget (OMB), in compliance with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). To request a copy of the 
clearance requests submitted to OMB for review, call the HRSA Reports 
Clearance Office on (301)-443-1129.
    The following request has been submitted to the Office of 
Management and Budget for review under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995:

Proposed Project: Free Clinic--FTCA Deeming Application (OMB No. 0915-
0293, Extension)

    Congress legislated FTCA medical malpractice protection for free 
clinic volunteer health professionals through Section 194 of the Health 
Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), amending Section 
224 of the Public Health Service Act. Individuals eligible to 
participate in this program are health care practitioners volunteering 
at free clinics who meet specific eligibility requirements. If an 
individual meets all the requirements of this program they can be 
``deemed'' to be a Federal employee. This deemed status is specifically 
to provide immunity from medical malpractice lawsuits as a result of 
the performance of medical, surgical, dental, or related activities 
within the scope of the volunteer's work at the free clinic.
    The sponsoring free clinic entity must submit an application to the 
Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). This application 
will require information about the sponsoring free clinic's 
credentialing system, risk management practices, and quality assurance 
system in order to ensure the Government is not exposed to undue 
liability resulting from the medical malpractice coverage of non-
qualified health care professionals. Attached to the application will 
be a listing of specific health care providers for whom the sponsoring 
free clinic is requesting deemed status.
    Estimates of annualized reporting burden are as follows:

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                                     Number of     Responses per       Total         Hours per     Total burden
          Type of form              respondents     respondent       responses       response          hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FTCA Deeming Application........             150               1             150              16           2,400
                                 -----------------
    Total.......................             150  ..............             150  ..............           2,400
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    Written comments and recommendations concerning the proposed 
information collection should be sent within 30 days of this notice to: 
John Kraemer, Health Resources and Services Administration, Human 
Resources and Housing Branch, Office of Management and Budget, New 
Executive Office Building, Room 10235, Washington, DC 20503.

    Dated: March 21, 2005.
Tina M. Cheatham,
Director, Division of Policy Review and Coordination.
[FR Doc. 05-5972 Filed 3-25-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165-15-P