80 FR 68479 - Exempting Mental Health Peer Support Services From Copayments

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 214 (November 5, 2015)

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is withdrawing VA's proposed rulemaking, published in the Federal Register on November 28, 2014, to amend its regulation that governs VA services that are not subject to copayment requirements for inpatient hospital care or outpatient medical care. Specifically, the proposed rule would have amended the regulation to exempt mental health peer support services from having any required copayment. VA received no adverse comments concerning the proposed rule or its companion substantially identical direct final rule published in the Federal Register on the same date. In a companion document in this issue of the Federal Register, we are confirming that the direct final rule became effective on January 27, 2015. Accordingly, this document withdraws as unnecessary the proposed rule.

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 214 (Thursday, November 5, 2015)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 68479]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-28255]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

38 CFR Part 17

RIN 2900-AP10


Exempting Mental Health Peer Support Services From Copayments

AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs.

ACTION: Withdrawal of proposed rule.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is withdrawing VA's 
proposed rulemaking, published in the Federal Register on November 28, 
2014, to amend its regulation that governs VA services that are not 
subject to copayment requirements for inpatient hospital care or 
outpatient medical care. Specifically, the proposed rule would have 
amended the regulation to exempt mental health peer support services 
from having any required copayment. VA received no adverse comments 
concerning the proposed rule or its companion substantially identical 
direct final rule published in the Federal Register on the same date. 
In a companion document in this issue of the Federal Register, we are 
confirming that the direct final rule became effective on January 27, 
2015. Accordingly, this document withdraws as unnecessary the proposed 
rule.

DATES: The proposed rule published on November 28, 2014, 79 FR 70941, 
is withdrawn as of November 5, 2015.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kristin J. Cunningham, Director 
Business Policy, Chief Business Office (10NB6), Veterans Health 
Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Ave. NW., 
Washington, DC 20420; (202) 382-2508. (This is not a toll-free number.)

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In a proposed rule published in the Federal 
Register on November 28, 2014, 79 FR 70941, VA proposed to amend 38 CFR 
17.108 to eliminate copayments for mental health peer support services. 
VA published a companion substantially identical direct final rule at 
79 FR 70938, on the same date. The direct final rule and proposed rule 
each provided a 60-day comment period that ended on January 27, 2015. 
No adverse comments were received. Six comments that supported the 
rulemaking were received from the general public. One commenter also 
urged VA to exempt evidence-based, cost-effective primary care services 
from having a required copayment. This comment is outside the scope of 
this rulemaking, and therefore, VA is not making any changes to this 
rulemaking based on this comment.
    Because no adverse comments were received within the comment 
period, VA is withdrawing the proposed rule as unnecessary. In a 
companion document in this issue of the Federal Register, VA is 
confirming the effective date of the direct final rule, RIN 2900-AP11, 
published at 79 FR 70938.

Signing Authority

    The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, or designee, approved this 
document and authorized the undersigned to sign and submit the document 
to the Office of the Federal Register for publication electronically as 
an official document of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Robert L. 
Nabors II, Chief of Staff, Department of Veterans Affairs, approved 
this document on October 26, 2015, for publication.

    Dated: November 2, 2015.
Michael P. Shores,
Chief Impact Analyst, Office of Regulation Policy & Management, Office 
of the General Counsel, Department of Veterans Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2015-28255 Filed 11-4-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8320-01-P