[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 247 (Wednesday, December 26, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76073-76074]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-30964]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Office of the Secretary


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB 
Review; Comment Request; Notice of Pre-Existing Condition Exclusion 
Under Group Health Plans

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting the Employee 
Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) sponsored information 
collection request (ICR) titled, ``Notice of Pre-Existing Condition 
Exclusion Under Group Health Plans,'' to the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) for review and approval for continued use in accordance 
with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et 
seq.).

DATES: Submit comments on or before January 25, 2013.

ADDRESSES: A copy of this ICR with applicable supporting documentation; 
including a description of the likely respondents, proposed frequency 
of response, and estimated total burden may be obtained from the 
RegInfo.gov Web site, http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain, on the 
day following publication of this notice or by contacting Michel Smyth 
by telephone at 202-693-4129 (this is not a toll-free number) or 
sending an email to [email protected].
    Submit comments about this request to the Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs, Attn: OMB Desk

[[Page 76074]]

Officer for DOL-EBSA, Office of Management and Budget, Room 10235, 725 
17th Street NW., Washington, DC 20503, Fax: 202-395-6881 (this is not a 
toll-free number), email: [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michel Smyth by telephone at 202-693-
4129 (this is not a toll-free number) or by email at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: An employee group health benefit plan or its 
issuer that imposes a preexisting condition exclusion period must give, 
as part of any enrollment application, an employee eligible for 
coverage a general notice that describes the plan's preexisting 
condition exclusion--including that the plan will reduce the maximum 
exclusion period by the length of an employee's prior creditable 
coverage. If there are no such enrollment materials, the notice must be 
provided as soon after a request for enrollment as is reasonably 
possible. The EBSA has provided sample language for the general notice. 
See 29 CFR 2590.701-3(c).
    A plan that uses the alternative method of crediting coverage 
provided in the applicable regulations must disclose the use of that 
method at the time of enrollment and describe how the method operates. 
The plan must also explain that a participant has a right to establish 
prior creditable coverage through a certificate or other means and to 
request a certificate of prior coverage from a prior plan or issuer. 
Finally, a plan or issuer must offer to assist the participant in 
obtaining a certificate from a prior plan or issuer, if necessary. See 
29 CFR 2590.701-4(c)(4).
    This information collection is subject to the PRA. A Federal agency 
generally cannot conduct or sponsor a collection of information, and 
the public is generally not required to respond to an information 
collection, unless it is approved by the OMB under the PRA and displays 
a currently valid OMB Control Number. In addition, notwithstanding any 
other provisions of law, no person shall generally be subject to 
penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information that 
does not display a valid Control Number. See 5 CFR 1320.5(a) and 
1320.6. The DOL obtains OMB approval for this information collection 
under Control Number 1210-0102. The current approval is scheduled to 
expire on December 31, 2012; however, it should be noted that existing 
information collection requirements submitted to the OMB receive a 
month-to-month extension while they undergo review. For additional 
information, see the related notice published in the Federal Register 
on June 25, 2012 (77 FR 37920).
    Interested parties are encouraged to send comments to the OMB, 
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs at the address shown in 
the ADDRESSES section within 30 days of publication of this notice in 
the Federal Register. In order to help ensure appropriate 
consideration, comments should mention OMB Control Number 1210-0102. 
The OMB 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 submission of responses.
    Agency: DOL-EBSA.
    Title of Collection: Notice of Pre-Existing Condition Exclusion 
Under Group Health Plans.
    OMB Control Number: 1210-0102.
    Affected Public: Private Sector--businesses or other for-profits 
and not-for-profit institutions.
    Total Estimated Number of Respondents: 685,114.
    Total Estimated Number of Responses: 1,666,339.
    Total Estimated Annual Burden Hours: 5,043.
    Total Estimated Annual Other Costs Burden: $1,052,061.

    Authority:  44 U.S.C. 3507(a)(1)(D).

    Dated: December 19, 2012.
Michel Smyth,
Departmental Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2012-30964 Filed 12-21-12; 4:15 pm]
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