OWCP currently requires all service
providers to submit all required medical licenses and the
additional attestation language requires providers to further
affirm that that they possess all appropriate state, county,
locality, or jurisdictional business licenses to provide services
to OWCP claimants. Together, these changes will reduce the
complexity of the form for the form filler, without adding any
additional fillable fields.
US Code:
30
USC 901 Name of Law: The Black Lung Benefits Act (BLBA)
US Code: 5 USC
8101 Name of Law: The Federal Employees' Compensation Act
(FECA)
US Code: 42
USC 7384 Name of Law: The Energy Employees Occupational Illness
Compensation Program Act of 2000 (EEOICPA)
Minor changes to the form
instructions reduced respondent burden from 30 to 25 minutes.
Additionally, with the April 2020 change to a new medical
processing contractor, current providers were rolled over into the
new system without having to complete a new Form OWCP-1168. This
change reduced the number of respondents from 64,325 to 23,318, a
decrease of 41,007. This resulted in an equivalent decrease in
number of responses and attendant decreases to the total respondent
burden hours and cost to the federal government. The previously
approved number for burden hours was 32,162.5 and the requested
number now is 9,717, a decrease of 22,445.5 hours. The previous
cost to the federal government was $579,568 and is now $429,867, a
decrease of $149,701. Additionally, since enrollment processing
time is reduced when providers opt to complete the form online,
very few new providers print and mail form 1168, which resulted in
reduced cost to respondents. The previous approved annual cost to
respondents was $24,997, and the cost requested now is $816, a
decrease of $24,181.
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.