[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 180 (Monday, September 17, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57160-57161]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-22828]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Office of Workers' Compensation Programs


Proposed Extension of Existing 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 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 Office of Workers' Compensation Programs 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 addresses 
section of this Notice.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the 
addresses section below on or before November 16, 2012.

ADDRESSES: Ms Yoon Ferguson, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution 
Ave. NW., Room S-3201, Washington, DC 20210, telephone (202) 693-0701, 
fax (202) 693-2447, Email [email protected]. Please use only one 
method of transmission for comments (mail, fax, or Email).

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 the required 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 
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, almost all 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). None of the 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 December 
31, 2012.
    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 is seeking public 
comments on the extension of this currently approved information 
collection.
    Type of Review: Extension.
    Agency: Office of Workers' Compensation Programs.
    Title: Pharmacy Billing Requirements.
    OMB Number: 1240-0050.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit.
    Total Respondents: 4,128.
    Total Responses: 1,489,532.
    Time per Response: 1-5 Minutes.
    Frequency: On Occasion.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 26,917.
    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.


[[Page 57161]]


    Dated: September 12, 2012.
Yoon Ferguson,
Agency Clearance Officer, Office of Workers' Compensation Programs, 
U.S. Department of Labor.
[FR Doc. 2012-22828 Filed 9-14-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-CR-P