[Federal Register: December 31, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 251)]
[Notices]
[Page 80368-80369]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr31de08-36]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Office of the Secretary
[Docket ID: DoD-2008-HA-0167]
Proposed Collection; Comment Request
AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health
Affairs, DoD.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
In compliance with section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction
Act of 1995, the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for
Health Affairs announces a proposed public information collection and
seeks public comment on the provisions thereof. Comments are invited
on: (a) Whether the proposed 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 proposed 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: Consideration will be given to all comments received by March 2,
2009.
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 or to obtain a copy of the proposal and
associated collection instruments, please write to Lt. Col. Judith
Schulik, TRICARE Policy and Operations, TRICARE Management Activity,
5111 Leesburg Pike, Suite 810, Falls Church, VA 22041, telephone (703)
681-0039.
Title; Associated Form; and OMB Number: Certification of non-
contributory TRICARE supplemental insurance plan; OMB Control Number
0720-TBD.
Needs and Uses: Section 707 of the John Warner National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007 added section 1097c to Title 10.
Section 1097c prohibits employers from offering financial or other
incentives to certain TRICARE-eligible employees to not enroll in an
employer-offered group-health plan. In other words, employers may no
longer offer TRICARE supplemental insurance plans as part of an
employee benefit package. Employers may, however, offer TRICARE
supplemental insurance plans as part of an employee benefit package
provided the plan is not paid for in whole or in part by the employer
and is not endorsed by the employer. When such TRICARE supplemental
plans are offered, the employer must properly document that they did
not provide any payment for the benefit nor receive any direct or
indirect consideration or compensation for offering the benefit; the
employer's only involvement is providing the administrative support.
That certification will be provided upon request to the Department of
Defense.
Affected Public: Business or other for profit; Not-for-profit
institutions.
Annual Burden Hours: 250.
Number of Respondents: 1,500.
[[Page 80369]]
Responses per Respondent: 1.
Average Burden per Response: 10 minutes.
Frequency: On occasion.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Summary of Information Collection
Respondents are employers who make available non-contributory
TRICARE supplemental insurance plan to their employees. This new
paperwork requirement is consistent with section 707 of the John Warner
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007 which added
Section 1097c to Title 10. Per Section 1097c, employers may no longer
offer TRICARE supplemental insurance plans as part of an employee
benefit package. They may offer TRICARE supplemental insurance plans,
however, provided the plan is not paid for in whole or in part by the
employer and is not endorsed by the employer. When such TRICARE
supplemental plans are offered, the employer must properly document
that they did not provide any payment for the benefit nor receive any
direct or indirect consideration or compensation for offering the
benefit; the employer's only involvement is providing the
administrative support. One certification must be completed per
employer. It should be kept on file by the employer for as long as such
plans are offered. The employer will provide the certification to the
Department of Defense upon request.
Dated: December 22, 2008.
Patricia L. Toppings,
OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. E8-31046 Filed 12-30-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5001-06-P