Department of Veterans Affairs December 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) published a Notice in the Federal Register on October 25, 2013 (78 FR 64065) announcing that we intended to change financial reporting practices requiring annual financial assessments from veterans enrolled in the VA health care system. The purpose of this Notice is to notify interested parties that due to delays in modifying computer software, VA is postponing implementation of this change.

The Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), is announcing an opportunity for public comment on the proposed collection of certain information by the agency. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, Federal agencies are required to publish notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information, including each proposed extension without change of a currently approved collection, and allow 60 days for public comment in response to this notice. This notice solicits comments on information needed to determine the insured's eligibility to reinstate or change government life insurance.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-3521), this notice announces that the Veterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, will submit the collection of information abstracted below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The PRA submission describes the nature of the information collection and its expected cost and burden and includes the actual data collection instrument.

The Privacy Act of 1974, at 5 United States Code (U.S.C.) 552a(e)(4), requires that all agencies publish in the Federal Register a notice of the existence and character of their records. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) gives notice that it is amending the system of records entitled ``Accreditation Records-VA'' (01VA022) as set forth in the Federal Register, 40 FR 38095, August 26, 1975; and amended in 47 FR 1460, January 13, 1982, 54 FR 30969, July 25, 1989, 59 FR 47377, September 15, 1994, 67 FR 54529, August 22, 2002, and 74 FR 23247, May 18, 2009. VA is amending the system notice by adding new routine uses 15, 16, and 17.

Public Law 104-275 was enacted on October 9, 1996. It allows the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide a monetary allowance towards the private purchase of an outer burial receptacle for use in a VA national cemetery. Under VA regulation (38 CFR 38.629), the allowance is equal to the average cost of Government-furnished graveliners less any administrative costs to VA. The law provides a veteran's survivors with the option of selecting a Government-furnished graveliner for use in a VA national cemetery where such use is authorized. The purpose of this Notice is to notify interested parties of the average cost of Government-furnished graveliners, administrative costs that relate to processing and paying the allowance and the amount of the allowance payable for qualifying interments that occur during calendar year 2014.

This Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) notice informs the public of the updated data for calculating the ``Reasonable Charges'' collected or recovered by VA for medical care or services and the updated ``National Average Administrative Costs'' for purposes of calculating VA's charges for prescription drugs that were not administered during treatment but provided or furnished by VA to a veteran for: (1) A nonservice-connected disability for which the veteran is entitled to care or the payment of expenses for care under a health plan contract; (2) a nonservice-connected disability incurred incident to the veteran's employment and covered under a worker's compensation law or plan that provides reimbursement or indemnification for such care and services; or (3) a nonservice-connected disability incurred as a result of a motor vehicle accident in a state that requires automobile accident reparations insurance. The charge tables and supplemental tables that are applicable to this notice can be viewed on the Veterans Health Administration Chief Business Office's Internet Web site https://www1.va.gov/CBO/apps/rates/index.asp. These changes are effective January 1, 2014.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-3521), this notice announces that the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), Department of Veterans Affairs, will submit the collection of information abstracted below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The PRA submission describes the nature of the information collection and its expected cost and burden; it includes the actual data collection instrument.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-21), this notice announces that the Office of National Programs and Special Events, Department of Veterans Affairs, will submit the collection of information abstracted below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The PRA submission describes the nature of the information collection and its expected cost and burden; it includes the actual data collection instrument.

The Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), is announcing an opportunity for public comment on the proposed collection of certain information by the agency. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, Federal agencies are required to publish notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information, including each proposed extension of a currently approved collection, and allow 60 days for public comment in response to this notice. This notice solicits comments for information needed to authorize deduction from a beneficiary's compensation check.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) published a collection of information notice in a Federal Register on November 18, 2013, that listed the incorrect title of the VA Form in the 60 day Federal Register Notice information. This document corrects the errors by adding the Federal Register notice information.

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), is announcing an opportunity for public comment on the proposed collection of certain information by the agency. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, Federal agencies are required to publish notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information, including each new collection, and allow 60 days for public comment in response to the notice. This notice solicits comments on the information collection required to obtain patient perspective on satisfaction with the CCHT program and messaging devices.

This Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) rulemaking amends VA's regulations regarding payment by VA for medical services under VA's statutory authority for non-VA medical care. In the Federal Register on November 28, 2012, VA proposed to remove an outdated regulatory limitation on veterans' eligibility to be referred for non- VA medical care. On the same date, VA also published a companion direct final rule that would have made the same amendments effective on January 28, 2013, if no significant adverse comments were received. Because VA received adverse comments on the direct final rule, VA is withdrawing it in a companion document in this issue of the Federal Register. This rulemaking includes VA's responses to comments on the proposed and direct final rules.

This notice extends the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) application deadline for funds available under the Grants for Transportation of Veterans in Highly Rural Areas program. VA published a Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA) in the Federal Register on July 9, 2013 (78 FR 41195) to announce the availability of funds for applications beginning June 9, 2013 through September 9, 2013, 4 p.m. eastern standard time. The NOFA includes eligibility and scoring criteria for grants to assist veterans in highly rural areas through innovative transportation services to travel to VA and non-VA facilities and otherwise assist in providing transportation services in connection with the provision of VA medical care. To allow applicants more time to complete the application process, VA is extending the application deadline to midnight eastern standard time on February 3, 2014.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is amending its adjudication regulation regarding specially adapted housing (SAH). The amendment authorizes automatic issuance of a certificate of eligibility for SAH to all veterans and active servicemembers with service- connected amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) rated totally disabling under the VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities. The intent and effect of this amendment are to establish eligibility for SAH for all persons who have service-connected ALS. VA previously amended its Schedule for Rating Disabilities to assign a 100-percent disability evaluation for any veteran who has service-connected ALS based on the recognition that ALS is a rapidly progressive, totally debilitating, and irreversible motor neuron disease that results in muscle weakness leading to a wide range of serious disabilities, including problems with mobility. Because individuals with ALS quickly reach a level of total disability, the change was designed to eliminate the need to repeatedly reevaluate veterans suffering from ALS over a short period of time as symptoms worsen. Based on that same rationale, this amendment addresses the corresponding eligibility for SAH benefits for veterans and servicemembers with service-connected ALS. The overall SAH grant approval and oversight process is complex and lengthy, with many parts beyond VA's control. This rulemaking streamlines one aspect of the process within VA's control, by establishing SAH eligibility for all veterans or servicemembers with service-connected, totally disabling ALS. By shortening the first stage of the SAH process, this regulatory change will assist veterans and servicemembers suffering from ALS in adapting their homes before their condition becomes too debilitating. It will also lengthen the period during which ALS-afflicted veterans and servicemembers will be able to utilize the core SAH benefits. VA also makes non-substantive technical amendments for clarity.