[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 186 (Tuesday, September 26, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56173-56174]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-15738]


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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

[[Page 56174]]

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: Pharmacy Billing 
Requirements. A copy of the proposed information collection request can 
be obtained by contacting the office 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 November 27, 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) 
administers 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 covered medical treatment 
provided to beneficiaries; this medical treatment can include medicinal 
drugs dispensed by pharmacies. In order to determine whether amounts 
billed for drugs are appropriate, OWCP must receive 19 data elements, 
including the name of the patient/beneficiary, the National Drug Code 
(NDC) number of the drugs prescribed the prescription number and the 
date the prescription was filled. The regulations implementing these 
statutes require the collection of information needed to enable OWCP to 
determine if bills for drugs submitted directly by pharmacies, or as 
reimbursement requests submitted by claimants, should be paid. There is 
no standardized paper form for submission of the billing information 
collected in this ICR. Over the past several years, the majority of 
pharmacy bills submitted to OWCP have been submitted electronically 
using one of the industry-wide standard formats for the electronic 
transmission of billing data through nationwide data clearinghouses 
devised by the National Council for Prescription Drug Programs (NCPDP). 
However, since some pharmacy bills are still submitted using a paper-
based bill format, OWCP will continue to accept any of the many paper-
based bill formats still used by some providers so long as they contain 
the data elements needed for processing the bill. None of the paper-
based or electronic billing formats have been designed by or provided 
by OWCP; they are billing formats commonly accepted by other Federal 
programs and in the private health insurance industry for drugs. 
Nonetheless, the three programs (FECA, BLBA and EEOICPA) provide 
instructions for the submission of necessary pharmacy bill data 
elements in the provider manuals distributed or made available to all 
pharmacies enrolled in the program. This information collection is 
currently approved for use through March 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 for pharmaceuticals covered under the 
Acts.
    Type of Review: Extension.
    Agency: Employment Standards Administration.
    Title: Pharmacy Billing Requirements.
    OMB Number: 1215-0194.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit.
    Total Respondents: 28,150.
    Total Responses: 1,463,792.
    Time per Response: 5 minutes.
    Frequency: On Occassion.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 121,494.
    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: September 21, 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. E6-15738 Filed 9-25-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-CR-P