[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 104 (Tuesday, June 1, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Page 30407]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-12966]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection: 
Comment Request

    In compliance with the requirement for opportunity for public 
comment on proposed data collection projects (section 3506(c)(2)(A) of 
Title 44, United States Code, as amended by the Paperwork Reduction Act 
of 1995, Pub. L. 104-13), the Health Resources and Services 
Administration (HRSA) publishes periodic summaries of proposed projects 
being developed for submission to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. To request more information 
on the proposed project or to obtain a copy of the data collection 
plans and draft instruments, call the HRSA Reports Clearance Officer on 
(301) 443-1129.
    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 
proposed collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways 
to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, 
including through the use of automated collection techniques or other 
forms of information technology.

Proposed Project: The Health Education Assistance Loan (HEAL) Program: 
Physician's Certification of Borrower's Total and Permanent Disability 
Form (OMB No. 0915-0204)--Extension

    The Health Education Assistance Loan (HEAL) program provided 
federally-insured loans to students in schools of allopathic medicine, 
osteopathic medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, optometry, 
podiatric medicine, pharmacy, public health, allied health, or 
chiropractic, and graduate students in health administration or 
clinical psychology through September 30, 1998. Eligible lenders, such 
as banks, savings and loan associations, credit unions, pension funds, 
State agencies, HEAL schools, and insurance companies, made new 
refinanced HEAL loans which are insured by the Federal Government 
against loss due to borrower's death, disability, bankruptcy, and 
default. The basic purpose of the program was to assure the 
availability of funds for loans to eligible students who needed to 
borrow money to pay for their educational loans. Currently, the program 
monitors the federal liability, and assists in default prevention 
activities.
    The HEAL borrower, the borrower's physician, and the holder of the 
loan completes the Physician's Certification form to certify that the 
HEAL borrower meets the total and permanent disability provisions. The 
Department uses this form to obtain detailed information about 
disability claims which includes the following: (1) The borrower's 
consent to release medical records to the Department of Health and 
Human Services and to the holder of the borrower's HEAL loans, (2) 
pertinent information supplied by the certifying physician, (3) the 
physician's certification that the borrower is unable to engage in any 
substantial gainful activity because of a medically determinable 
impairment that is expected to continue for a long and indefinite 
period of time or to result in death, and (4) information from the 
lender on the unpaid balance. Failure to submit the required 
documentation will result in disapproval of a disability claim. No 
changes have been made to the current form.
    The estimate of burden for the Physician's Certification form is as 
follows:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                     Number of     Responses per     Number of      Minutes per    Total burden
       Type of respondent           respondents     respondents      responses       response          hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Borrower........................              75               1              75               5               6
Physician.......................              75               1              75              30              38
Loan Holder.....................              13               6              78              10              13
                                 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.......................             163  ..............             228  ..............              57
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

E-mail comments to [email protected] or mail the HRSA Reports 
Clearance Officer, Room 10-33, Parklawn Building, 5600 Fishers Lane, 
Rockville, MD 20857. Written comments should be received within 30 days 
of this notice.

    Dated: May 25, 2010.
Sahira Rafiullah,
Director, Division of Policy and Information Coordination.
[FR Doc. 2010-12966 Filed 5-28-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165-15-P