Durable Medical Equipment (DME) is any
equipment that provides therapeutic benefits to a patient in need
because of certain medical conditions and/or illness. They consist
of items that are primarily and customarily used to serve a medical
purpose; are not useful to a person in the absence of illness or
injury; are ordered or prescribed by a physician; are reusable; can
stand repeated use, and are appropriate for use in the home. Other
devices covered in this guidance include prosthetic equipment
(cardiac pacemakers), hearing aids, orthotic items (artificial
devices such as braces and splints), and prostheses (artificial
body parts). The information collected will assist in the
determination of Peace Corps eligibility. If eligible, it will
assist with ongoing care during service. All applicants to the
Peace Corps must have a medical clearance that will determine their
ability to serve in a particular country.
All applicants to the Peace
Corps must have a medical clearance that will determine their
ability to serve in a particular country. This information is
collected under the authority of the Peace Corps Act, 22 U.S.C.2501
et seq. This information may be used for the purposes described in
the Privacy Act, 5 USC 552A, including the routines uses listed in
the Peace Corps’ System of Records.Questions of a sensitive nature
are asked solely from a medical perspective and the information
gathered is used to determine whether the Applicant will, with
reasonable accommodation, be able to perform the essential
functions of a Peace Corps Volunteer and complete a tour of service
without undue disruption due to health problems. This information
also assists the Peace Corps in determining what is needed in order
to provide adequate medical support to the Applicant during
service. Peace Corps Volunteers serve in countries that have a
different healthcare infrastructure than that found in the United
States. Therefore, it is essential to fully understand each
Applicant’s complete medical history, treatments and response to
treatment, as well as a baseline evaluation of all conditions.
Failure to answer truthfully could result in disqualification from
Peace Corps service. The Peace Corps complies with the medical
confidentiality requirements of the Privacy Act and HIPAA. However,
all Applicants are required, as a condition of processing their
applications and of Peace Corps service, to sign an Authorization
for Peace Corps Use of Medical Information under which the
Applicant permits the Peace Corps to use the Applicant’s protected
health information to determine the Applicant’s eligibility for the
Peace Corps and as necessary for administration of the Peace Corps
program.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.