Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration

Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection;

Comment Request

In compliance with the requirement for opportunity for public

comment on proposed data collection projects (section 3506(c)(2)(A) of

Title 44, United States Code, as amended by the Paperwork Reduction Act

of 1995, Public Law 104-13), the Health Resources and Services

Administration (HRSA) will publish periodic summaries of proposed

projects being developed for submission to OMB under the Paperwork

Reduction Act of 1995. To request more information on the proposed

project or to obtain a copy of the data collection plans and draft

instruments, call the HRSA Reports Clearance Officer on (301) 443-1129.

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 collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality,

utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways

to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents,

including through the use of automated collection techniques or other

forms of information technology.

Proposed Project: The Health Education Assistance Loan (HEAL) Program:

Physician's Certification of Borrower's Total and Permanent Disability

Form (OMB No. 0915-0204)--Extension and Revision

The Health Education Assistance Loan (HEAL) program provides

federally-insured loans to students in schools of allopathic medicine,

osteopathic medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, optometry,

podiatric medicine, pharmacy, public health, allied health, or

chiropractic, and graduate students in health administration or

clinical psychology. Eligible lenders, such as banks, savings and loan

associations, credit unions, pension funds, State agencies, HEAL

schools, and insurance companies, make HEAL loans which are insured by

the Federal Government against loss due to borrower's death,

disability, bankruptcy, and default. The basic purpose of the program

is to assure the availability of funds for loans to eligible students

who need to borrow money to pay for their educational loans.

The HEAL borrower, the borrower's physician, and the holder of the

loan completes the Physician's Certification form to certify that the

HEAL borrower meets the total and permanent disability provisions.

The HEAL program is being phased out and no new loans will be made

after September 30, 1998 unless reauthorization is enacted. We are,

however, requesting a 3-year extension of the OMB approval of the HEAL

Physician's Certification of Borrower's Total and Permanent Disability

Form, HRSA-539 because this form will be used throughout the repayment

period for existing loans. The Department uses this form to obtain

information about disability claims which includes the following: (1)

the borrower's consent to release medical records to the Department of

Health and Human Services and to the holder of the borrower's HEAL

loans, (2) pertinent information supplied by the certifying physician,

(3) the physician's certification that the borrower is unable to engage

in any substantial gainful activity because of a medically determinable

impairment that is expected to continue for a long and indefinite

period of time or to result in death, and (4) information from the

lender on the unpaid balance. Failure to submit the required

documentation will result in disapproval of a disability claim. The

form is being revised to make

[[Page 63353]]

submission of medical documentation mandatory rather than optional.

The estimate of burden for the Physician's Certification form is as

follows:

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Number of Responses per Number of Hours per Total burden

Type of respondent respondents respondent responses response hours

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Borrower..................... 100 1 100 5 min........... 8

Physician.................... 100 1 100 30 min.......... 50

Loan Holder.................. 32 3.1 100 10 min.......... 17

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Total.................... 232 ............... 300 ................ 75

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Send comments to Patricia Royston, HRSA Reports Clearance Officer,

Room 14-36, Parklawn Building, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857.

Written comments should be received within 60 days of this notice.

Dated: November 21, 1997.

Jane Harrison,

Acting Director, Division of Policy Review and Coordination.

[FR Doc. 97-31225 Filed 11-26-97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4160-15-P