Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration

Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB

Review; Comment Request

Periodically, the Health Resources and Services Administration

(HRSA) publishes abstracts of information collection requests under

review by the Office of Management and Budget, in compliance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). To request a

copy of the clearance requests submitted to OMB for review, call the

HRSA Reports Clearance Office on (301) 443-1129.

The following request has been submitted to the Office of

Management and Budget for review under the Paperwork Reduction Act of

1995:

Application for Certification as a Federally Qualified Health

Center (FQHC) (OMB No. 0915-0142); Extension and Revision

The Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) Look-Alike application

package (OMB No. 0915-0142) was developed to certify entities as FQHC

providers under Medicaid and Medicare. FQHCs receive

[[Page 9202]]

reasonable cost-related reimbursement under Medicaid and Medicare for a

full range of primary health care services. The application for FQHC

certification is divided into four components: (1) Need and Community

Impact, (2) Health Services, (3) Management and Finance, and (4)

Governance. Certified FQHC Look-Alikes must submit an annual

recertification document with updated exhibits to retain designation as

an FQHC.

In an effort to improve the procedures for certifying FQHCs, HRSA

is considering revising the FQHC Look-Alike application (with parallel

changes made to the recertification requirements). The revised version

would update the application guidelines and exhibits to reflect current

law, regulations, and practice. A revised application may also include

more specific guidance on how applicants should document existing unmet

need in the community.

These revisions will be developed during the next year and

submitted for OMB approval in 1998. In the interim, a request for a

two-year extension of OMB approval of the current forms is being

submitted. Only minor technical changes have been made to the forms.

Estimates of annualized hour burden are as follows:

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Responses Total

Form name Number of per Hours per burden

respondents respondent response hours

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Application................................................. 70 1 120 8,400

Recertification............................................. 231 1 20 4,620

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Total................................................... 301 1 43 13,020

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Written comments and recommendations concerning the proposed

information collection should be sent within 30 days of this notice to:

Virginia Huth, Human Resources and Housing Branch, Office of Management

and Budget, New Executive Office Building, Room 10235, Washington, DC

20503.

Dated: February 10, 1997.

J. Henry Montes,

Director, Office of Policy and Information Coordination.

[FR Doc. 97-4957 Filed 2-27-97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4160-15-P