[Federal Register: January 23, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 15)]
[Notices]
[Page 3374]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr23ja04-63]
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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, Public Law 104-13), the Health Resources and Services
Administration (HRSA) publishes periodic summaries of proposed projects
being developed for submission to 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 (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, make 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
refinances previous HEAL loans, 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.
The estimate of burden for the Physician's Certification form is as
follows:
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Responses Total
Type of respondent Number of per Total Minutes per burden
respondents respondent responses response hours
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Borrower \1\.................................. 117 1 117 5 10
Physician..................................... 117 1 117 30 59
Loan Holder................................... 20 5.85 117 10 20
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Total..................................... 254 ............ 351 ........... 89
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\1\ Includes 2 categories of borrowers requesting disability waivers: (1) whose loans have previously defaulted,
and (2) whose loans have not defaulted.
Send comments to Susan G. Queen, Ph.D., HRSA Reports Clearance
Officer, Room 14-33, Parklawn Building, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville,
MD 20857. Written comments should be received within 60 days of this
notice.
Dated: January 15, 2004.
Tina M. Cheatham,
Acting Director, Division of Policy Review and Coordination.
[FR Doc. 04-1380 Filed 1-22-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165-15-P