[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 144 (Wednesday, July 29, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37733-37734]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-17993]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment Standards Administration


Proposed Extension of the Approval of Information Collection 
Requirements

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 its proposal to extend the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) approval of the Information
    Collection: Pharmacy Billing Requirements. A copy of the proposed 
information collection request can be obtained by contacting the office 
listed below in the ADDRESSES section of this Notice.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the 
addresses section below on or before September 28, 2009.

ADDRESSES: Mr. Steven D. Lawrence, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 
Constitution Ave., NW., Room S-3201, Washington, DC 20210, telephone 
(202) 693-0292, 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 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 quantity provided, 
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 
Information Collection Request (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 provider manuals distributed or made available to 
all pharmacies enrolled in the programs. This information collection is 
currently approved for use through March 31, 2010.

II. Review Focus

    The Department of Labor is particularly interested in comments 
that:
    * 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 Annual Responses: 1,463,800.

[[Page 37734]]

    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 121,494.
    Estimated Time Per Response: 5 minutes.
    Frequency: On Occasion.
    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: July 23, 2009.
Steven D. Lawrence,
Acting Chief, Branch of Management Review and Internal Control, 
Division of Financial Management, Office of Management, Administration 
and Planning, Employment Standards Administration.
[FR Doc. E9-17993 Filed 7-28-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-CH-P