Request for Public Comment: 60-Day Proposed Information Collection: Indian Health Service Loan Repayment Program

The Department of Health and Human Services, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a pre-clearance consultation program to provide the general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA95) (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). This program helps to ensure that requested date can be provided in the desired format, reporting burden (time and financial resources) is minimized, collection instruments are clearly understood, and the impact of collection requirements on respondents can be properly assessed. Currently, the Indian Health Service (IHS) is providing a 60-day advance opportunity for public comment on a proposed extension of current information collection activity to be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget for review. Proposed Collection: Title: 0917-0014, ``Indian Health Service Loan Repayment Program.'' Type of Information Collection Request: Extension, without revision, of currently approved information collection, 0917- 0014, ``Indian Health Service Loan Repayment Program.'' Form Number: None. Forms: The IHS Loan Repayment Program Information Booklet contains the instructions and the application formats. Need and Use of Information Collection: The IHS Loan Repayment Program (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 under which the IHS agrees to repay part or all of their indebtedness for professional training education. In exchange, the health professionals agree to serve for a specified period of time in IHS health care facilities. Eligible health professionals that wish to apply must submit an application to participate in the program. The application requests personal, demographic and educational training information, including information on the educational loans of the individual for which repayment is being requested (i.e., date, amount, account number, purpose of each loan, interest rate, the current balance, etc.). The data collected is needed and used to evaluate applicant eligibility; rank and prioritize applicants by speciality; assign applicants to IHS health care facilities; determine payment amounts and schedules for paying the lending institutions; and to provide data and statistics for program management review and analysis. Affected Public: Individuals and households. Type of Respondents: Individuals. The table below provides the estimated burden hours for this information collection: