[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 118 (Tuesday, June 20, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35451-35452]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-9632]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment Standards Administration


Proposed Collection; Comment Request

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to 
reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a preclearance 
consultation program to provide the general public and Federal agencies 
with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing 
collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995 (PRA95) [44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)]. This program helps to 
ensure that requested data can be provided in the desired format, 
reporting burden (time and financial resources) is minimized, 
collection instruments are clearly understood, and the impact of 
collection requirements on respondents can be properly assessed. 
Currently, the Employment Standards Administration is soliciting 
comments concerning the proposed collection: Uniform Billing Form 
(OWCP-92). A copy of the proposed information collection request can be 
obtained by contacting the office

[[Page 35452]]

listed below in the addressee section of this Notice.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the 
addressee section below on or before August 21, 2006.

ADDRESSES: Ms. Hazel M. Bell, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 
Constitution Ave., NW., Room S-3201, Washington, DC 20210, telephone 
(202) 693-0418, fax (202) 693-1451, E-mail [email protected]. Please 
use only one method of transmission for comments (mail, fax, or e-
mail).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    The Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP) is the agency 
responsible for administration of the Federal Employees' Compensation 
Act (FECA), 5 U.S.C. 8101, et seq., the Black Lung Benefits Act (BLBA), 
30 U.S.C. 901 et seq., and the Energy Employees Occupational Illness 
Compensation Program Act of 2000 (EEOICPA), 42 U.S.C. 7384 et seq. All 
three of these statutes require that OWCP pay for medical treatment of 
beneficiaries; this medical treatment can include inpatient/outpatient 
hospital services, as well as services provided by nursing homes, 
skilled nursing facilities and home health aides in the home. In order 
to determine whether billed amounts are appropriate, OWCP needs to 
identify the patient, the specific services that were rendered and 
their relationship to the work-related injury or illness. The 
regulations implementing these statutes require the use of Form OWCP-92 
or UB-92 for the submission of medical bills from institutional 
providers (20 CFR 10.801, 30.701, 725.405, 725.406, 725.701 and 
725.704). The Uniform Billing, known as the paper UB-92, has been 
approved by the American Hospital Association, the Centers for Medicare 
and Medicaid Services, and the Civilian Health and Medical Program of 
the Uniformed Services (CHAMPUS), by various other government health 
care programs, and the private sector, to request payment to 
institutional providers of medical services. The paper UB-2 has been 
designed by the National Uniform Billing Committee and is neither a 
government-printed form nor distributed by OWCP; OWCP has, however, 
developed detailed instructions to ensure that it obtains the 
information needed to consider requests for payment from institutional 
providers using this form. This information collection is currently 
approved for use through January 31, 2007.

II. Review Focus

    The Department of Labor is particularly interested in comments 
which:
     Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, 
including whether the information will have practical utility;
     Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the 
burden of the proposed collection of information, including the 
validity of the methodology and assumptions used;
     Enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and
     Minimize the burden of the collection of information on 
those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate 
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting 
electronic submissions of responses.

III. Current Actions

    The Department of Labor seeks approval for the extension of this 
information collection in order to carry out its responsibility to 
provide payment covered medical services to injured employees who are 
covered under the FECA, BLBA and the EEOICPA.
    Type of Review: Extension.
    Agency: Employment Standards Administration.
    Title: Uniform Billing Form.
    OMB Number: 1215-0176.
    Agency Number: OWCP-92.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households; Business or other for-
profit; Not-for-profit institutions.
    Total Respondents: 7,593.
    Total Responses: 30,372.
    Time per Response: 7 minutes.
    Frequency: As needed.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 3,544.
    Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): $0.
    Total Burden Cost (operating/maintenance): $0.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for Office of Management and Budget 
approval of the information collection request; they will also become a 
matter of public record.

    Dated: June 15, 2006.
Ruben Wiley,
Chief, Branch of Management Review and Internal Control, Division of 
Financial Management, Office of Management, Administration and 
Planning, Employment Standards Administration.
 [FR Doc. E6-9632 Filed 6-19-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-CR-P