07-2844. Proposed Collection, Comment Request

AGENCY:

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

ACTION:

Notice.

In accordance with section 3506(c) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs announces the proposed extension of a public information collection and seeks public comment on the provisions thereof. Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed extension of 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 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:

Considerations will be given to all comments received by August 7, 2007.

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, 1160 Defense Pentagon, Washington, DC 20301-1160.

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, please write to the TRICARE Management Activity, Medical Benefits and Reimbursement System, 16401 E. Centretech Pkwy, Attn: Ann Fazzini, Aurora, CO 80011-9066, or call TRICARE Management Activity, Medical Benefits and Reimbursement Systems at [phone].

Title and OMB Number: Diagnosis Related Groups (DRG) Reimbursement (Two Parts); OMB Control Number 0720-0017.

Needs and Uses: The TRICARE/CHAMPUS contractors will use the information collected to reimburse hospitals for TRICARE/CHAMPUS share of capital and direct medical education costs. Respondents are institutional providers.

Affected Public: Business or other-for-profit.

Annual Burden Hours: 8,400.

Number of Respondents: 5,600.

Responses per Respondent: 1.

Average Burden per Response: 90 minutes.

Frequency: On occasion.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Summary of Information Collection

The Department of Defense Authorization Act, 1984, Pub. L. 98-94 amended Title 10, section 1079(j)(2)(A) of the U.S.C. and provided the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniform Services (CHAMPUS) with the statutory authority to reimburse institutional providers based on diagnosis-related groups (DRGs). Institutional providers in the CHAMPUS DRG-based payment system, except for children's hospitals (whose capital and direct medical education costs are incorporated in the children's hospital differential), who want to be reimbursed for allowed capital and direct medical education costs must submit a request for payment to the TRICARE/CHAMPUS contractor. The request allows TRICARE to collect the information necessary to properly reimburse hospitals for its share of these costs. The information can be submitted in any form, most likely in the form of a letter. The contractor will calculate the TRICARE/CHAMPUS share of capital and direct medical educations costs and make a lump-sum payment to the hospital.

The TRICARE/CHAMPUS DRG-based payment system is modeled on the Medicare Prospective Payment System (PPS) and was implemented on October 1, 1987. Initially, under 42 CFR 412.46 of the Medicare regulations, physicians were required to sign attestation and acknowledgment statements. These requirements were implemented to ensure a means of holding hospitals and physicians accountable for the information they submit on the Medicare claim forms. Being modeled on the Medicare PPS, CHAMPUS also adopted these requirements. The physicians attestation and physician acknowledgment required by Medicare under 42 CFR 412.46 are also required for CHAMPUS as a condition for payment and may be satisfied by the same statements as required for Medicare, with substitution or addition of “CHAMPUS” when the word “Medicare” is used. Physicians sign a physician acknowledgment, maintained by the institution, at the time the physician is granted admitting privileges. This acknowledgment indicates the physician understands the importance of a correct medical record, and misrepresentation may be subject to penalties.

Dated: June 1, 2007.

Patricia L. Toppings,

Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.