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 (OMB), 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, e-mail

paperwork@hrsa.gov

or 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:

Proposed Project: Free Clinic FTCA Deeming Application (OMB No. 0915-0293) Revision

Congress legislated FTCA medical malpractice protection for free clinic volunteer health professionals through Section 194 of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) amending Section 224 of the Public Health Service Act. Individuals eligible to participate in this program are health care practitioners volunteering at free clinics who meet specific eligibility requirements. If an individual meets all the requirements of this program, they can be “deemed” to be a Federal employee. This deemed status is specifically to provide immunity from medical malpractice lawsuits as a result of the performance of medical, dental, or related activities within the scope of the volunteer's work at the free clinic.

The sponsoring free clinic entity must submit an application to the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). This application will require information about the sponsoring free clinic's credentialing system, risk management practices, and quality assurance system in order to ensure the Government is not exposed to undue liability resulting from the medical malpractice coverage of non-qualified health care professionals as well as the number of annual FTCA patient visits. Attached to the application will be a listing of specific health care providers for whom the sponsoring free clinic is requesting deemed status.

The estimated annual burden is as follows:

Form

Number of

respondents

Responses per

respondent

Total

responses

Hours per

response

Total burden hours

Free Clinic FTCA Application

150

1

150

16

2,400

Total

150

150

2,400

Written comments and recommendations concerning the proposed information collection should be sent within 30 days of this notice to the desk officer for HRSA, either by e-mail to

OIRA_submission@omb.eop.gov

or by fax to 202-395-6974. Please direct all correspondence to the “attention of the desk officer for HRSA.”

Dated: July 16, 2008.

Alexandra Huttinger,

Director, Division of Policy Review and Coordination.

[FR Doc. E8-16779 Filed 7-21-08; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4165-15-P