2018-09052. Agency Information Collection Activity Under OMB Review: Application for Extended Care Services

AGENCY:

Veterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, this notice announces that the Veterans Health 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 May 30, 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. 2900-0629” in any correspondence.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Cynthia Harvey-Pryor, Office of Quality, Privacy and Risk (OQPR), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20420, [phone] or email [e-mail]. Please refer to “OMB Control No. 2900-0629” in any correspondence.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Authority: 38 U.S.C. 1705, 1710B, 1722A, 1729.

Title: Application for Extended Care Services.

OMB Control Number: 2900-0629.

Type of Review: Renewal of a currently approved collection.

Abstract: Title 38 U.S.C. Chapter 17 authorizes VA to provide hospital care, medical services, domiciliary care and nursing home care to eligible Veterans. Title 38 U.S.C. 1705 requires VA to design, establish and operate a system of annual patient enrollment in accordance with a series of stipulated priorities. A consequence of this is that many groups of Veterans who are in a lower priority group (WWI Veterans, Veterans with disabilities rated as 0% service-connected seeking treatment for other than their service-connected conditions, Veterans exposed to a toxic substance, radiation, or environmental hazard and nonservice-connected Veterans) may request that they be allowed to be income tested in order to gain a higher priority. Title 38 U.S.C. 1722 establishes eligibility assessment procedures for cost-free VA medical care, based on income levels, which will determine whether nonservice-connected and 0% service-connected non-compensable Veterans are able to defray the necessary expenses of care for nonservice-connected conditions. Title 38 U.S.C. 1722A establishes the eligibility assessment procedures, based on income levels, for determining Veterans' eligibility for cost-free medications and Title 38 U.S.C. 1710B defines the procedures for establishing eligibility for cost-free Extended Care benefits. Title 38 U.S.C. 1729 authorizes VA to recover from Veterans' health insurance carriers the cost of care furnished for their nonservice-connected conditions.

VA Form 10-10EC, Application for Extended Care Services, is used to collect financial information necessary to determine a Veteran's copayment obligation for extended care services, also known as long term care (LTC).

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 82 FR 55490 on November 21, 2017, pages 55490-55491.

Affected Public: Individuals and households.

Estimated Annual Burden: 3,000 hours.

Estimated Average Burden per Respondent: 90 minutes.

Frequency of Response: Annually.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 2,000.

By direction of the Secretary.

Cynthia D. Harvey-Pryor,

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