Office of the Secretary May 2019 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness announces a proposed public information collection and seeks public comment on the provisions thereof. Comments are invited on: Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed information collection; ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and ways to minimize the burden of the information collection on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) sponsored information collection request (ICR) titled, ``Employee Retirement Income Security Act Summary Annual Report Requirement,'' to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval for continued use, without change, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA). Public comments on the ICR are invited.

This proposed rule would implement authority provided to the Secretary of Defense under the Social Security Act. This authority allows the Secretary of Defense as the administrator of a Federal healthcare program to impose civil monetary penalties (CMPs or penalties) as described in section 1128A of the Social Security Act against providers and suppliers who commit fraud and abuse in the TRICARE program. This proposed rule establishes a program within the DoD to impose civil monetary penalties for certain such unlawful conduct in the TRICARE program. To the extent applicable, we are proposing to adopt the Department of Health and Human Service's (HHS's), well-established CMP rules and procedures. This will enable both TRICARE and TRICARE providers to rely upon Medicare precedents and guidance issued by the HHS Office of Inspector General regarding conduct that implicates the civil monetary penalty law. The program to impose civil monetary penalties in the TRICARE program shall be called the Military Health Care Fraud and Abuse Prevention Program.