[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 213 (Monday, November 3, 2008)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 65260]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-26177]


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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

38 CFR Part 17

RIN 2900-AM59


Elimination of Co-Payment for Weight Management Counseling

AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs.

ACTION: Direct final rule; confirmation of effective date.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) published a direct 
final rule amending our medical regulations to designate weight 
management counseling (individual and group sessions) as a service that 
is not subject to VA's co-payment requirements. VA received no 
significant adverse comments concerning this rule or its companion 
substantially identical proposed rule published on the same date. This 
document confirms that the direct final rule became effective on June 
16, 2008. In a companion document in this issue of the Federal 
Register, we are withdrawing as unnecessary that proposed rule.

DATES: Effective date: June 16, 2008.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tony Guagliardo, Director, Business 
Policy, Chief Business Office (16), Veterans Health Administration, 810 
Vermont Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20420, (202) 461-1591 (this is not 
a toll-free number).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In a direct final rule published in the 
Federal Register on April 16, 2008 (73 FR 20530), VA amended the 
medical regulations set forth at 38 CFR part 17 to eliminate co-
payments for weight management counseling (individual and group 
sessions). VA published a companion substantially identical proposed 
rule (RIN 2900-AM81; 73 FR 20579) on the same date to serve as a 
proposal for the provisions in the direct final rule in case 
significant adverse comments were received. The direct final rule and 
proposed rule each provided a 30-day comment period that ended May 16, 
2008. No adverse comments were received. Two public comments were 
received, both of which supported the proposed rule.
    Under the direct final rule procedures that we described in those 
documents, because no significant adverse comment was received within 
the comment period, the regulation became effective on the date 
specified in the direct final rule, June 16, 2008. In a companion 
document in this issue of the Federal Register, VA is withdrawing the 
proposed rule (RIN 2900-AM81) published at 73 FR 20579 as unnecessary.

    Approved: October 27, 2008.
Gordon H. Mansfield,
Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
 [FR Doc. E8-26177 Filed 10-31-08; 8:45 am]
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