[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 140 (Friday, July 21, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41428-41429]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-6394]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary

[No. DOD-2006-HA-0161]


Proposed 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 for 
Health affairs announces the extension of a 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 
September 19, 2006.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by docket number and 
title, by any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
     Mail: Federal docket Management System Office, 1160 
Defense Pentagon, Washington, DC 20301-1160.
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency 
name, docket number and title for this Federal Register document. The 
general policy for comments and other submissions from members of the 
public is to make these submissions available for public viewing on the 
Internet at http://www.regulations.gov as they are received without 
change, including any personal identifiers or contact information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request more information on this 
proposed information collection, please write to TRICARE Management 
Activity, Medical Benefits and Reimbursement Systems, 16401 East 
Centretch Parkway, ATTN: David Bennett, Aurora, CO 80011-9043, or call 
TRICARE Management Activity, Medical Benefits and Reimbursement 
Systems, at (303) 676-3494.
    Title and OMB Number: Application for TRICARE-Provider Status: 
Corporation Services Provider; OMB Number 0720-0020.
    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: 200.
    Number of Respondents: 200.
    Responses for Respondent: 1.
    Average Burden per Response: 60 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-autorization 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 ont he 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

[[Page 41429]]

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 inquires, 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 200 applicants 
per year. 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 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 annual reporting burden is estimated to be 200 
hours.

    Dated: July 17, 2006.
Patricia L. Toppings,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 06-6394 Filed 7-20-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5001-06-M