2018-11131. Agency Information Collection Activity Under OMB Review: Application by Insured Terminally Ill Person for Accelerated Benefit

AGENCY:

Veterans Benefits Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, this notice announces that the Veterans Benefits Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, will submit the collection of information abstracted below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The PRA submission describes the nature of the information collection and its expected cost and burden and it includes the actual data collection instrument.

DATES:

Comments must be submitted on or before June 25, 2018.

ADDRESSES:

Submit written comments on the collection of information through www.Regulations.gov, or to Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, Attn: VA Desk Officer, 725 17th St. NW, Washington, DC 20503 or sent through electronic mail to [e-mail]. Please refer to “OMB Control No. 2900-0618” in any correspondence.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Cynthia Harvey-Pryor, Enterprise Records Service (005R1B), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20420, [phone] or email [e-mail]. Please refer to “OMB Control No. 2900-0618” in any correspondence.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Authority: Public Law 104-13; 44 U.S.C. 3501-3521.

Title: Application by Insured Terminally Ill Person for Accelerated Benefit Form SGLI 8284.

OMB Control Number: 2900-0618.

Type of Review: Reinstatement of a previously approved collection.

Abstract: VA has amended regulations for the Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance (SGLI) and Veterans' Group Life Insurance (VGLI) programs to add accelerated death benefit (Accelerated Benefit) provisions that permit terminally ill policyholders access to the death benefits of their policies before they die. Traditionally, an individual purchases life insurance in order to safeguard his or her dependents against major financial loss due to his or her death. Life insurance serves to replace the lost income of an insured and to provide for his or her final expenses. In recent years, the insurance industry has recognized the financial needs of terminally ill policyholders and has begun offering policies with accelerated benefit provisions. A recent statutory amendment (Section 302 of the Veterans Programs Enhancement Act of 1998, Pub. L. 105-368, 112 Stat. 3315, 3332-3333) added section 1980 to Title 38, United States Code, which extends an accelerated benefit option to terminally ill persons insured in the SGLI and VGLI programs. This form expired due to high volume of work and staffing changes.

An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on this collection of information was published at 83 FR 56 on March 22, 2018, pages 12653 and 12654.

Affected Public: Individuals and Households.

Estimated Annual Burden: 40 hours.

Estimated Average Burden per Respondent: 12 minutes.

Frequency of Response: One time.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 200.

By direction of the Secretary.

Cynthia D. Harvey-Pryor,

Department Clearance Officer, Office of Quality, Privacy and Risk, Department of Veterans Affairs.