Indian Health Service – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) in the Department of the Interior (DOI) and the Indian Health Service (IHS) in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) are making limited technical amendments to their joint regulations governing contracts and annual funding agreements under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act to update the appeals procedures.

This Notice advises the public that the Indian Health Service (IHS) has decided to expand the geographic boundaries of the Service Delivery Area (SDA) for the Cowlitz Indian Tribe. The Cowlitz SDA currently is comprised of Clark, Cowlitz, King, Lewis, Pierce, Skamania, and Thurston in the State of Washington. These counties were designated as the Tribe's SDA in 67 FR 46329. Under this final decision, Columbia County, Oregon, and Kittitas and Wahkiakum Counties, Washington will be added to the existing Cowlitz SDA.

This Notice advises the public that the Indian Health Service (IHS) proposes to expand the geographic boundaries of the Service Delivery Area (SDA) for the Cowlitz Indian Tribe. The Cowlitz SDA currently is comprised of Clark, Cowlitz, King, Lewis, Pierce, Skamania, and Thurston in the State of Washington. These counties were designated as the Tribe's SDA in 67 FR 46329. It is proposed that Columbia County, Oregon, and Wahkiakum and Kittitas Counties, Washington be added to the existing SDA.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and Indian Health Service (IHS) are submitting the information collection, titled ``Indian Self- Determination and Education Assistance Act Programs, 25 CFR 900'' to the Office of Management and Budget for renewal. The current approval, designated by OMB Control Number 1076-0136, expires on February 28, 2010. The information is collected to process contracts, grants, or cooperative agreements for award by the BIA and the IHS, as authorized by the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act.

In compliance with Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, which requires 30 days for public comment on proposed information collection projects, the Indian Health Service (IHS) has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request to review and approve the information collection listed below. This proposed information collection project was previously published in the Federal Register (74 FR 46201) on September 8, 2009 and allowed 60 days for public comment. No public comment was received in response to the notice. The purpose of this notice is to allow 30 days for public comment to be submitted directly to OMB.

In compliance with Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 which requires a 30-day advance opportunity for public comment on the proposed information collection project, the Indian Health Service (IHS) has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request to review and approve the information collection listed below. This proposed information collection project was previously published in the Federal Register (74 FR 36714) on July 24, 2009 and allowed 60 days for public comment. No public comment was received in response to the notice. The purpose of this notice is to allow 30 days for public comment to be submitted directly to OMB.

This Notice advises the public that the Indian Health Service (IHS) proposes to expand the geographic boundaries of the Service Delivery Area (SDA) for the Cowlitz Indian Tribe. The Cowlitz SDA currently is comprised of Clark, Cowlitz, King, Lewis, Pierce, Skamania, and Thurston in the State of Washington. These counties were designated as the Tribe's SDA in 67 FR 46329. It is proposed that Columbia County, Oregon, and Wahkiakum and Kittitas Counties, Washington be added to the existing SDA.

In compliance with Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 which requires 60 day advance opportunity for public comment on proposed information collection projects, the Indian Health Service (IHS) is publishing for comment a summary of a proposed information collection to be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review.

Pursuant to the provisions of the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, 5 U.S.C. 552a(e)(4), the IHS has amended and is publishing the proposed alteration of a SOR, ``Indian Health Service Scholarship and Loan Repayment Programs,'' System No. 09-17-0002. We propose to modify the SOR to reflect current program changes, statutory and implementation changes. Under the system name, we propose to clarify language under the ``Categories of individuals covered by the system'' section; to include statutory authorities for the grants program under the ``Authority for maintenance of the system'' section; to include the IHS Grants Program (Indians Into Nursing, Indians Into Medicine, and Indians Into Psychology) and the IHS Health Professions Support Branch in the ``Purposes'' section; various minor language edits to routine use number 4 for litigation as these records are not Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) protected records; add a new routine use number 20 to comply with Office of Management and Budget (OMB) (M)emorandum 07-16 Safeguarding Against and Responding to the Breach of Personally Identifiable Information of May 22, 2007 and the HHS Directive memoranda dated September 19, 2007 to incorporate Notification of Breach Routine Use language; and finally minor administrative and program edits to other sections of the SOR.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and Indian Health Service (IHS) are proposing to submit the information collection, titled ``Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act Programs, 25 CFR 900'' to the Office of Management and Budget for renewal. The current approval, designated by OMB Control Number 1076-0136, expires on February 28, 2010. The information is collected to process contracts, grants, or cooperative agreements for award by the BIA and the IHS, as authorized by the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act. The Department of the Interior and the Department of Health and Human Services invite you to submit comments on the proposed renewal, as described below.

Pursuant to the provisions of the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, 5 U.S.C. 552a(e)(4), the IHS has amended and is publishing the proposed alteration of a system of records, System No. 09-17-0003, ``Medical Staff Credentials and Privileges Records.'' The amended and altered system of records makes several administrative revisions which includes the deletion of the Social Security Numbers (SSNs) language to comply with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Memorandum (M)07- 16, Safeguarding Against and Responding to the Breach of Personally Identifiable Information (May 22, 2007); and the HHS Directive Memorandum of October 6, 2008 to all Operating Division Heads to develop and execute a plan to eliminate the unnecessary collection and use of SSNs; and the inclusion of a new routine use to comply with OMB (M)07-16 and the HHS Memorandum dated September 19, 2007 to incorporate Notification of Breach Routine Use language; and the update of the Appendix 1 of the SOR.

Pursuant to the provisions of the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, 5 U.S.C. 552a(e)(4), the IHS has amended and is publishing the proposed alteration of a SOR, System No. 09-17-0004, ``Sanitation Facilities Construction Individual Applicant (SFCIA) Records.'' Under the provisions of the Indian Sanitation Facilities Act, Public Law 86- 121 (42 U.S.C. 2004a), IHS is charged with carrying out the functions to determine basic individual and home eligibility for sanitation services. The primary change to this SOR notice is to delete the reference to the Social Security Numbers (SSNs) under the Categories of Records; Retrievability; Notification; Record Access; and Contesting Record Procedures to comply with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Memorandum (M)07-16, Safeguarding Against and Responding to the Breach of Personally Identifiable Information (May 22, 2007); and the HHS Directive Memorandum of October 6, 2008 to all Operating Division Heads to develop and execute a plan to eliminate the unnecessary collection and use of SSNs.

In compliance with Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 which requires to provide a 60-days advance opportunity for public comment on proposed information collection projects, the Indian Health Service (IHS) is publishing for comment a summary of a proposed information collection to be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review.

Notice is given that the Director of 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 2009 for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries and beneficiaries of other Federal programs. 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 may be available to the extent that those services meet applicable requirements. Section 1880 of the Social Security Act authorizes Medicare Part B payment to hospitals and ambulatory care clinics operated by IHS or by an Indian Tribe or Tribal organization.