2012-28878. Proposed Collection; Comment Request

AGENCY:

Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, DoD.

ACTION:

Notice.

In compliance with Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs announces a proposed public information collection and seeks public comment on the provisions thereof. 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 information collection; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the information collection on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

DATES:

Consideration will be given to all comments received by January 28, 2013.

ADDRESSES:

You may submit comments, identified by docket number and title, by any of the following methods:

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
• Mail: Federal Docket Management System Office, 4800 Mark Center Drive, East Tower, Suite 02G09, Alexandria, VA 22350-3100.

Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name, docket number and title for this Federal Register document. The general policy for comments and other submissions from members of the public is to make these submissions available for public viewing on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov as they are received without change, including any personal identifiers or contact information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

To request more information on this proposed information collection or to obtain a copy of the proposal and associated collection instruments, please write to the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Health Affairs) TRICARE Management Activity, ATTN: Ms. Shane Pham, 7700 Arlington Boulevard, Suite 5101 Falls Church, VA 22042-5101, or call at [phone].

Title; Associated Form; and OMB Number: TRICARE Plus Enrollment Application, DD Form 2853 and TRICARE Plus Disenrollment Request, DD Form 2854; OMB Control Number 0720-0028.

Needs and Uses: These collected instruments serve as an application for enrollment and disenrollment in the Department of Defense's TRICARE Plus Health Plan established in accordance with Title 10 U.S.C. sections 1099 (which calls for a healthcare enrollment system) and 1086 (which authorizes TRICARE eligibility of Medicare Eligible Persons and has resulted in the development of a new enrollment option called TRICARE Plus) and the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs Policy Memorandum to Establish the TRICARE Plus Program, June 22, 2001. The information collected hereby provides the TRICARE contractors with necessary data to determine beneficiary eligibility and to identify the selection of a health care option.

Affected Public: Individuals or household.

Annual Burden Hours: 2,924.

Number of Respondents: 25,065.

Responses per Respondent: 1.

Average Burden per Response: 7 minutes.

Frequency: On occasion.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Summary of Information Collection

The Department of Defense established TRICARE Plus as an enrollment option for persons who are eligible for care in Military Treatment Facilities (MTF) and not enrolled in TRICARE Prime. TRICARE Plus provides an opportunity to enroll with a primary care provider at a specific MTF, to the extent capacity exists. This is a way to facilitate primary care appointments at an MTF when needed. TRICARE Plus enrollment will help MTFs maintain an adequate clinical case mix for Graduate Medical Education programs and support readiness-related medical skills sustainment activities. In order to carry out this program, it is necessary that certain beneficiaries electing to enroll/disenroll in TRICARE Plus complete an enrollment application/disenrollment request. Completion of the enrollment forms is an essential element of the TRICARE program. There is no lock-in and no enrollment fee for TRICARE Plus.

Dated: November 26, 2012.

Aaron Siegel,

Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.