[Federal Register: June 23, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 119)]
[Notices]
[Page 29721]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr23jn09-87]
[[Page 29721]]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Employment Standards Administration
Proposed Extension of the Approval of Information Collection
Requirements
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to
reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a preclearance
consultation program to provide the general public and Federal agencies
with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing
collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction
Act of 1995 (PRA95) [44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)]. This program helps to
ensure that requested data can be provided in the desired format,
reporting burden (time and financial resources) is minimized,
collection instruments are clearly understood, and the impact of
collection requirements on respondents can be properly assessed.
Currently, the Employment Standards Administration is soliciting
comments concerning its proposal to extend the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) approval of the Information Collection: Uniform Billing
Form (OWCP-04). A copy of the proposed information collection request
can be obtained by contacting the office listed below in the ADDRESSES
section of this Notice.
DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the
addresses section below on or before August 24, 2009.
ADDRESSES: Mr. Steven D. Lawrence, U.S. Department of Labor, 200
Constitution Ave., NW., Room S-3201, Washington, DC 20210, telephone
(202) 693-0292, fax (202) 693-1451, E-mail Lawrence.Steven@dol.gov.
Please use only one method of transmission for comments (mail, fax, or
E-mail).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background: The Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP)
is the agency responsible for administration of the Federal Employees'
Compensation Act (FECA), 5 U.S.C. 8101 et seq., the Black Lung Benefits
Act (BLBA), 30 U.S.C. 901 et seq., and the Energy Employees
Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000 (EEOICPA), 42
U.S.C. 7384 et seq. All three of these statutes require that OWCP pay
for medical treatment of beneficiaries; this medical treatment can
include inpatient/outpatient hospital services, as well as services
provided by nursing homes and skilled nursing facilities. In order to
determine whether billed amounts are appropriate, OWCP needs to
identify the patient, the specific services that were rendered and
their relationship to the work-related injury or illness. The
regulations implementing these statutes require the use of Form OWCP-04
(which includes the first page of the private sector Form UB-04) for
the submission of medical bills from institutional providers (20 CFR
10.801, 30.701, 725.405, 725.406, 725.701 and 725.704).
The Uniform Billing Form, known as the paper UB-04, has been
approved by the American Hospital Association, the Centers for Medicare
and Medicaid Services, the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the
Uniformed Services (CHAMPUS), by various other government health care
programs, and by the private sector, to request payment to
institutional providers of medical services. The paper UB-04 has been
designed by the National Uniform Billing Committee and is neither a
government-printed form nor distributed by OWCP; OWCP has, however,
developed detailed instructions to ensure that it obtains the
information it needs to consider requests for payment from
institutional providers using this form. This information collection is
currently approved for use through January 31, 2010.
II. Review Focus: The Department of Labor is particularly
interested in comments that:
Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency,
including whether the information will have practical utility;
Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the
burden of the proposed collection of information, including the
validity of the methodology and assumptions used;
Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected; and
Minimize the burden of the collection of information on
those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection
techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting
electronic submissions of responses.
III. Current Actions: The Department of Labor seeks approval for
the extension of this information collection in order to carry out its
responsibility to provide payment covered medical services to injured
employees who are covered under the FECA, BLBA and the EEOICPA.
Type of Review: Extension.
Agency: Employment Standards Administration.
Title: Uniform Billing Form (OWCP-04).
OMB Number: 1215-0176.
Affected Public: Individuals or households; Business or other for-
profit; Not-for-profit institutions.
Total Respondents: 5,481.
Total Annual responses: 21,924.
Estimated Total Burden Hours: 2,558.
Estimated Time Per Response: 7 minutes.
Frequency: Annually.
Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): $0.
Total Burden Cost (operating/maintenance): $0.
Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized
and/or included in the request for Office of Management and Budget
approval of the information collection request; they will also become a
matter of public record.
Dated: June 18, 2009.
Steven D. Lawrence,
Acting Chief, Branch of Management Review and Internal Control,
Division of Financial Management, Office of Management, Administration
and Planning, Employment Standards Administration.
[FR Doc. E9-14688 Filed 6-22-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-CH-P