[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 186 (Tuesday, September 25, 2012)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 58952-58953]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-23513]


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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

38 CFR Part 17

RIN 2900-AO26


Exempting In-Home Video Telehealth From Copayments

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 its regulation that governs VA services that are 
not subject to copayment requirements for inpatient hospital care or 
outpatient medical care. Specifically, the regulation exempted in-home 
video telehealth care from having any required copayment. 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 May 7, 
2012. In a companion document in this issue of the Federal Register, we 
are withdrawing as unnecessary the proposed rule.

DATES: Effective Date: This final rule is effective May 7, 2012.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kristin J. Cunningham, Director 
Business Policy, Chief Business Office, Department of Veterans Affairs, 
810

[[Page 58953]]

Vermont Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20420; (202) 461-1599. (This is not a 
toll-free number.)

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In a direct final rule published in the 
Federal Register on March 6, 2012, 77 FR 13195, VA amended 38 CFR 
17.108 to eliminate copayments for in-home video telehealth. VA 
published a companion substantially identical proposed rule at 77 FR 
13236 on the same date to serve as a proposal for the provisions in the 
direct final rule in case adverse comments were received. The direct 
final rule and proposed rule each provided a 30-day comment period that 
ended on April 5, 2012. No adverse comments were received. Two comments 
that supported the rulemaking were received from members of the general 
public.
    Under the direct final rule procedures that were described in 77 FR 
13195 and 77 FR 13236, the direct final rule became effective on May 7, 
2012, because no significant adverse comments were received within the 
comment period. In a companion document in this issue of the Federal 
Register, VA is withdrawing the proposed rulemaking, RIN 2900-AO27, 
published at 77 FR 13236, as unnecessary.

Signing Authority

    The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, or designee, approved this 
document and authorized the undersigned to sign and submit the document 
to the Office of the Federal Register for publication electronically as 
an official document of the Department of Veterans Affairs. John R. 
Gingrich, Chief of Staff, Department of Veterans Affairs, approved this 
document on September 18, 2012, for publication.

    Dated: September 19, 2012.
Robert C. McFetridge,
Director, Office of Regulation Policy and Management, Office of the 
General Counsel, Department of Veterans Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2012-23513 Filed 9-24-12; 8:45 am]
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