[Federal Register: September 26, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 186)]
[Notices]
[Page 56173-56174]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr26se06-107]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Employment Standards Administration
Proposed 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
[[Page 56174]]
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 Employment Standards Administration 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 addressee
section of this Notice.
DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the
addressee section below on or before November 27, 2006.
ADDRESSES: Ms. Hazel M. Bell, U.S. Department of Labor, 200
Constitution Ave., NW., Room S-3201, Washington, DC 20210, telephone
(202) 693-0418, FAX (202) 693-1451, E-mail Bell.Hazel@dol.gov. Please
use only one method of transmission for comments (mail, FAX, or E-
mail).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background: The Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP)
administers 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 19 data elements,
including the name of the patient/beneficiary, the National Drug Code
(NDC) number of the drugs prescribed 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 as
reimbursement requests submitted by claimants, should be paid. There is
no standardized paper form for submission of the billing information
collected in this ICR. Over the past several years, the majority of
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).
However, since some pharmacy bills are still submitted using a paper-
based bill format, OWCP will continue to accept any of the many paper-
based bill formats still used by some providers so long as they contain
the data elements needed for processing the bill. None of the paper-
based or 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 the provider manuals distributed or made available to all
pharmacies enrolled in the program. This information collection is
currently approved for use through March 31, 2007.
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 seeks approval for
the extension of this information collection in order to carry out its
responsibility to provide payment for pharmaceuticals covered under the
Acts.
Type of Review: Extension.
Agency: Employment Standards Administration.
Title: Pharmacy Billing Requirements.
OMB Number: 1215-0194.
Affected Public: Business or other for-profit.
Total Respondents: 28,150.
Total Responses: 1,463,792.
Time per Response: 5 minutes.
Frequency: On Occassion.
Estimated Total Burden Hours: 121,494.
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.
Dated: September 21, 2006.
Ruben Wiley,
Chief, Branch of Management Review and Internal Control, Division of
Financial Management, Office of Management, Administration and
Planning, Employment Standards Administration.
[FR Doc. E6-15738 Filed 9-25-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-CR-P