05-5972. Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Periodically, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) publishes abstracts of information collection requests under review by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), in compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). To request a copy of the clearance requests submitted to OMB for review, call the HRSA Reports Clearance Office on (301)-443-1129.

The following request has been submitted to the Office of Management and Budget for review under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995:

Proposed Project: Free Clinic—FTCA Deeming Application (OMB No. 0915-0293, Extension)

Congress legislated FTCA medical malpractice protection for free clinic volunteer health professionals through Section 194 of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), amending Section 224 of the Public Health Service Act. Individuals eligible to participate in this program are health care practitioners volunteering at free clinics who meet specific eligibility requirements. If an individual meets all the requirements of this program they can be “deemed” to be a Federal employee. This deemed status is specifically to provide immunity from medical malpractice lawsuits as a result of the performance of medical, surgical, dental, or related activities within the scope of the volunteer's work at the free clinic.

The sponsoring free clinic entity must submit an application to the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). This application will require information about the sponsoring free clinic's credentialing system, risk management practices, and quality assurance system in order to ensure the Government is not exposed to undue liability resulting from the medical malpractice coverage of non-qualified health care professionals. Attached to the application will be a listing of specific health care providers for whom the sponsoring free clinic is requesting deemed status.

Estimates of annualized reporting burden are as follows:

Type of form	Number of respondents	Responses per respondent	Total responses	Hours per response	Total burden hours
FTCA Deeming Application	150	1	150	16	2,400
Total	150		150		2,400

Written comments and recommendations concerning the proposed information collection should be sent within 30 days of this notice to: John Kraemer, Health Resources and Services Administration, Human Resources and Housing Branch, Office of Management and Budget, New Executive Office Building, Room 10235, Washington, DC 20503.

Dated: March 21, 2005.

Tina M. Cheatham,

Director, Division of Policy Review and Coordination.