Proposed Collection; Comment Request
[06/20/2006]
Volume 71, Number 118, Page 35451-35452
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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 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: Uniform Billing Form
(OWCP-92). A copy of the proposed information collection request can be
obtained by contacting the office
[[Page 35452]]
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 August 21, 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) 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 medical treatment of
beneficiaries; this medical treatment can include inpatient/outpatient
hospital services, as well as services provided by nursing homes,
skilled nursing facilities and home health aides in the home. In order
to determine whether billed amounts are appropriate, OWCP needs to
identify the patient, the specific services that were rendered and
their relationship to the work-related injury or illness. The
regulations implementing these statutes require the use of Form OWCP-92
or UB-92 for the submission of medical bills from institutional
providers (20 CFR 10.801, 30.701, 725.405, 725.406, 725.701 and
725.704). The Uniform Billing, known as the paper UB-92, has been
approved by the American Hospital Association, the Centers for Medicare
and Medicaid Services, and the Civilian Health and Medical Program of
the Uniformed Services (CHAMPUS), by various other government health
care programs, and the private sector, to request payment to
institutional providers of medical services. The paper UB-2 has been
designed by the National Uniform Billing Committee and is neither a
government-printed form nor distributed by OWCP; OWCP has, however,
developed detailed instructions to ensure that it obtains the
information needed to consider requests for payment from institutional
providers using this form. This information collection is currently
approved for use through January 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 covered medical services to injured employees who are
covered under the FECA, BLBA and the EEOICPA.
Type of Review: Extension.
Agency: Employment Standards Administration.
Title: Uniform Billing Form.
OMB Number: 1215-0176.
Agency Number: OWCP-92.
Affected Public: Individuals or households; Business or other for-
profit; Not-for-profit institutions.
Total Respondents: 7,593.
Total Responses: 30,372.
Time per Response: 7 minutes.
Frequency: As needed.
Estimated Total Burden Hours: 3,544.
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: June 15, 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. E6-9632 Filed 6-19-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-CR-P
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