Indian Health Service – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS or the Department) is revising its regulations governing administrative appeals to reflect a change of address for the Interior Board of Indian Appeals (IBIA). The IBIA moved to a new address at 801 North Quincy St., Suite 300, Arlington, VA 22203 effective February 11, 2002.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law (Pub. L.) 104-13 [44 United States Code (U.S.C.) Sec. 3506(c)(2)(A)], the Indian Health Service (IHS) invites the general public to take this opportunity to comment on the information collection titled, ``Indian Health Service (IHS) Sharing What Works Best Practice, Promising Practice, and Local Effort (BPPPLE) Form,'' Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Control Number 0917-0034. This previously approved information collection project was last published in the Federal Register (77 FR 67657) on November 13, 2012, and allowed 30 days for public comment. No public comment was received in response to the notice. This notice announces our intent to submit this collection, which expires January 31, 2016, to OMB for approval of an extension, and to solicit comments on specific aspects for the proposed information collection. A copy of the supporting statement is available at www.regulations.gov (see Docket ID IHS-2015-0008). Proposed Collection: Title: 0917- 0034, Indian Health Service (IHS) Sharing What WorksBest Practice, Promising Practice, and Local Effort (BPPPLE) Form. Type of Information Collection Request: Extension, without revision, of the currently approved information collection, 0917-0034, IHS Sharing What WorksBest Practice, Promising Practice, and Local Effort (BPPPLE) Form. There are no program changes or adjustments in burden hours. Form(s): 0917-0034, IHS Sharing What WorksBest Practice, Promising Practice, and Local Effort (BPPPLE) Form. Need and Use of Information Collection: The IHS goal is to raise the health status of the American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) people to the highest possible level by providing comprehensive health care and preventive health services. To support the IHS mission and encourage the creation and utilization of performance driven products/ services by IHS, Tribal, and urban Indian health (I/T/U) programs, the Office of Preventive and Clinical Services' program divisions (i.e., Behavioral Health, Health Promotion/Disease Prevention, Nursing, and Dental) have developed a centralized program database of best practices, promising practices and local efforts (BPPPLE) and resources. The purpose of this collection is to further the development of a database of BPPPLE, resources, and policies which are available to the public on the IHS.gov Web site. This database will be a resource for program evaluation and for modeling examples of various health care projects occurring in AI/AN communities. All information submitted is on a voluntary basis; no legal requirement exists for collection of this information. The information collected will enable the Indian health systems to: (a) Identify evidence based approaches to prevention programs among the I/T/Us when no system is currently in place, and (b) Allow the program managers to review BPPPLEs occurring among the I/T/Us when considering program planning for their communities. Affected Public: Individuals. Type of Respondents: I/T/U health programs' staff. The table below provides: Types of data collection instruments, Estimated number of respondents, Number of responses per respondent, Average burden hour per response, and Total annual burden hour(s).

The Indian Health Service published a document in the Federal Register on June 19, 2015, for the FY 2015 National Indian Health Outreach and Education, Health Reform Cooperative Agreement Program. The notice contained two incorrect dates.

In compliance with section 3507(a)(1)(D) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Indian Health Service (IHS) is submitting to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request for an extension of a previously approved collection of information titled, ``IHS Loan Repayment Program (LRP)'' (OMB Control Number 0917-0014), which expires July 31, 2015. This proposed information collection project was recently published in the Federal Register (80 FR 23558) on April 28, 2015, and allowed 60 days for public comment, as required by 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A). The IHS received no comments regarding this collection. The purpose of this notice is to allow 30 days for public comment to be submitted directly to OMB. A copy of the supporting statement is available at www.regulations.gov (see Docket ID IHS-2015-0003). Proposed Collection: Title: 0917-0014, ``Indian Health Service Loan Repayment Program.'' Type of Information Collection Request: Extension of currently approved information collection, 0917-0014, ``Indian Health Service Loan Repayment Program.'' The LRP application is available in an electronically fillable and fileable format. Form(s): The IHS LRP Information Booklet contains the instructions and the application format. Need and Use of Information Collection: The IHS LRP identifies health professionals with pre-existing financial obligations for education expenses that meet program criteria who are qualified and willing to serve at, often remote, IHS health care facilities. Under the program, eligible health professionals sign a contract through which the IHS agrees to repay part or all of their indebtedness in exchange for an initial two-year service commitment to practice full- time at an eligible Indian health program. The LRP is necessary to augment the critically low health professional staff at IHS health care facilities. Any health professional wishing to have their health education loans repaid may apply to the IHS LRP. A two-year contract obligation is signed by both parties, and the individual agrees to work at an eligible Indian health program location and provide health services to American Indian and Alaska Native individuals. The information collected via the on-line application from individuals is analyzed and a score is given to each applicant. This score will determine which applicants will be awarded each fiscal year. The administrative scoring system assigns a score to the geographic location according to vacancy rates for that fiscal year and also considers whether the location is in an isolated area. When an applicant accepts employment at a location, the applicant in turn ``picks-up'' the score of that location. Affected Public: Individuals and households. Type of Respondents: Individuals. The table below provides: Types of data collection instruments, Estimated number of respondents, Number of responses per respondent, Annual number of responses, Average burden hour per response, and Total annual burden hour(s).

The Indian Health Service (IHS) is seeking broad public input as it begins efforts to advance and promote the health needs of the American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) community.

The Indian Health Service published a document in the Federal Register on April 14, 2015 for the FY 2015 New and Competing Continuation Cooperative Agreement Funding Announcement. The notice contained an incorrect statement.

In compliance with section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et. seq.), which requires 60 days for public comment on proposed information collection projects, the Indian Health Service (IHS) invites the general public to take this opportunity to comment on the information collection Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Control Number 0917-0014, titled, ``IHS Loan Repayment Program (LRP).'' This previously approved information collection project was last published in the Federal Register (77 FR 27467) on May 10, 2012, and allowed 30 days for public comment. No public comment was received in response to the notice. This notice announces our intent to submit this collection, which expires May 31, 2015, to OMB for approval of an extension and solicit comments on specific aspects for the proposed information collection. A copy of the draft supporting statement is available at www.regulations.gov (see Docket ID IHS-2015-0003). Proposed Collection: Title: 0917-0014, ``Indian Health Service Loan Repayment Program.'' Type of Information Collection Request: Extension of currently approved information collection, 0917-0014, ``Indian Health Service Loan Repayment Program.'' The LRP application is available in an electronically fillable and fileable format. Form(s): The IHS LRP Information Booklet contains the instructions and the application formats. Need and Use of Information Collection: The IHS LRP identifies health professionals with pre-existing financial obligations for education expenses that meet program criteria and who are qualified and willing to serve at, often remote, IHS health care facilities. Under the program, eligible health professionals sign a contract through which the IHS agrees to repay part or all of their indebtedness in exchange for an initial two-year service commitment to practice fulltime at an eligible Indian health program. This program is necessary to augment the critically low health professional staff at IHS health care facilities. Any health professional wishing to have their health education loans repaid may apply to the IHS LRP. A two-year contract obligation is signed by both parties, and the individual agrees to work at an eligible Indian health program location and provide health services to American Indian and Alaska Native individuals. The information collected via the on-line application from individuals is analyzed and a score is given to each applicant. This score will determine which applicants will be awarded each fiscal year. The administrative scoring system assigns a score to the geographic location according to vacancy rates for that fiscal year and also considers whether the location is in an isolated area. When an applicant accepts employment at a location, the applicant in turn ``picks-up'' the score of that location. Affected Public: Individuals and households. Type of Respondents: Individuals. The table below provides: Types of data collection instruments, Estimated number of respondents, Number of responses per respondent, Annual number of responses, Average burden hour per response, and Total annual burden hour(s).

The Indian Health Service published a document in the Federal Register on February 18, 2015, for the FY 2015 Office of Tribal Self- Governance Program, Negotiation Cooperative Agreement Announcement. The notice contained incorrect guidance.

Notice is given that the Director of the Indian Health Service (IHS), under the authority of sections 321(a) and 322(b) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 248 and 249(b)), Public Law 83-568 (42 U.S.C. 2001(a)), and the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.), has approved the following rates for inpatient and outpatient medical care provided by IHS facilities for Calendar Year 2015 for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and beneficiaries of other Federal programs, and for recoveries under the Federal Medical Care Recovery Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. Sec. 2651-2653). The Medicare Part A inpatient rates are excluded from the table below as they are paid based on the prospective payment system. Since the inpatient rates set forth below do not include all physician services and practitioner services, additional payment shall be available to the extent that those services are provided.

This proposed rule would amend Indian Health Service (IHS) Purchased and Referred Care (PRC), formally known as the Contract Health Services (CHS), regulations to apply Medicare payment methodologies to all physician and other health care professional services and non-hospital-based services that are either authorized under such regulations or purchased by urban Indian organizations. Specifically, it proposes that the health programs operated by IHS, Tribe, Tribal organization, or urban Indian organization (collectively, I/T/U programs) will pay the lowest of the amount provided for under the applicable Medicare fee schedule, prospective payment system, or Medicare waiver; the amount negotiated by a repricing agent, if available; or the usual and customary billing rate. Repricing agents may be used to determine whether IHS may benefit from savings by utilizing negotiated rates offered through commercial health care networks. This proposed rule seeks comment on how to establish reimbursement that is consistent across Federal health care programs, aligns payment with inpatient services, and enables the IHS to expand beneficiary access to medical care.

The Indian Health Service is issuing this Notice to correct the effective date from October 29, 2014 to September 22, 2014 for the final Policy for Conferring with Urban Indian Organizations. The notice published at 79 FR 58359, September 29, 2014.

The Indian Health Service published a document in the Federal Register on August 6, 2014 for the FY 2014 National Indian Health Outreach and Education IIMethamphetamine Suicide Prevention Intervention/Domestic Violence Prevention Initiative Program Announcement and Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. The notice contained incorrect dates.

The Indian Health Service published a document in the Federal Register on July 29, 2014, for the FY 2014 Office of Tribal Self- Governance Program, Planning Cooperative Agreement Announcement. The notice contained an incorrect date.

The Indian Health Service published a document in the Federal Register on July 3, 2014, for the FY 2014 Tribal Management Grant Program Announcement. Key information pertaining to Funding Restrictions was omitted.

The Indian Health Service published a document in the Federal Register on January 10, 2014 listing the Oklahoma City Area Office as the Oklahoma Area Office.

The Indian Health Service is announcing the name change of the Aberdeen Area Indian Health Service to the Great Plains Area Indian Health Service at the request of Tribes served by the Aberdeen Area Indian Health Service.