[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 248 (Tuesday, December 28, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72698-72699]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-33601]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration
Proposed Extension of Information Collection Request Submitted
for Public Comment and Recommendations; Establishing Prior Creditable
Coverage, Health Insurance Portability for Group Health Plans
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to
reduce paperwork and respondent burden, provides 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 (PRA 95) (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 Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration is
soliciting comments concerning the proposed extension of a currently
approved collection of information, Establishing Prior Creditable
Coverage. A copy of the proposed information collection request (ICR)
can be obtained by contacting the addressee below.
DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before February 28,
2000.
ADDRESSES: Gerald B. Lindrew, Department of Labor, Pension and Welfare
Benefits Administration, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC
20210, (202) 219-4782, FAX (202) 219-4745 (not toll-free numbers).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Subtitle B of title 1 of ERISA, Part 7, section 707, added by the
Health Care Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (Pub. L. 104-
191, August 31, 1996) (HIPAA) authorizes the Secretary of Labor, in
coordination with the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) and
the Secretary of the Treasury, to promulgate such regulations as may be
necessary or appropriate to carry out the provisions of the statute.
Accordingly, Interim Rules implementing the Portability Requirement for
Group Health Plans were published on April 8, 1997, (62 FR 16920
through 16923) (April 8 Interim Rules).
In order to meet HIPAA's goal of improving access to and
portability of health care benefits, the statute provides that, after
the submission of evidence establishing prior creditable coverage, a
subsequent health insurance provider would be limited to the extent to
which it could use pre-existing condition exclusions to limit coverage.
This ICR covers the submission of materials sufficient to establish
prior creditable coverage.
Review Focus
The Department of Labor (Department) 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
[[Page 72699]]
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.
Current Actions: The Department has not modified the ICR
incorporated in the April 8 Interim Rules, but intends to submit the
ICR to OMB for continued clearance. Comments received in response to
this notice will be incorporated in the submission to OMB. The existing
collection of information should be continued because it implements
disclosure provisions mandated by the portability provisions enacted in
section 701 of HIPAA. Specifically, this ICR implements statutory
requirements for establishing prior creditable coverage. Under the
April 8 Interim Rules, a group health plan is obligated to provide a
written certificate of information suitable for establishing prior
creditable coverage of a participant or beneficiary. To the extent that
a certification is not available or is inadequate to prove prior
creditable coverage, alternative methods of establishing creditable
coverage are provided.
The April 8 Interim Rules offer model certification and notice
forms to be used by group health plans and health insurance issuers,
containing the minimum information mandated by the statute.
Agency: Department of Labor, Pension and Welfare Benefits
Administration.
Title: Establishing Prior Creditable Coverage.
Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
OMB Number: 1210-0103.
Affected Public: Business or other for-profit, Not-for-profit
institutions, Individuals or households.
Frequency of Response: On occasion.
Respondents: 15,604.
Responses: 8,000,000.
Total Estimated Burden Hours: 336,060.
Total Burden Cost (Operating and Maintenance): $31,800,000.
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: December 22, 1999.
Gerald B. Lindrew,
Deputy Director, Office of Policy and Research, Pension and Welfare
Benefits Administration.
[FR Doc. 99-33601 Filed 12-27-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-29-M