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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
CMS ID: [CMS-1323-N]
NOTICE: NOTICES
ACTION: Meetings:
DOCUMENT ACTION: Notice.
SUBJECT CATEGORY: Medicare Program; Semi-Annual Winter Meeting of the Advisory Panel on Ambulatory Payment Classification Groups--March 5, 6, and 7, 2008
DATES: Meeting Dates: We are scheduling the first semi-annual winter meeting in 2008 for the following dates and times:
Deadlines:
Deadline for Hardcopy Comments/Suggested Agenda Topics5 p.m. (e.s.t.), Thursday, February 7, 2008.
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Deadline for Hardcopy Presentations5 p.m. (e.s.t.), Thursday, February 7, 2008.
Deadline for Attendance Registration5 p.m. (e.s.t.), Wednesday, February 27, 2008.
Deadline for Special Accommodations5 p.m. (e.s.t.), Wednesday, February 27, 2008.
Submission of Materials to the Designated Federal Officer (DFO): Because of staffing and resource limitations, we cannot accept written comments and presentations by FAX, and we cannot print written comments and presentations received electronically for dissemination at the meeting.
Only hardcopy comments and presentations can be reproduced for public dissemination. All hardcopy presentations must be accompanied by Form CMS20017 (revised 01/07). The form is now available through the CMS Forms Web site. The Uniform Resource Locator (URL) for linking to this form is as follows: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/cmsforms/downloads/cms20017.pdf .
Presenters must use the most recent copy of CMS20017 (updated 01/ 07) at the above URL. Additionally, presenters must clearly explain the action(s) that they are requesting CMS to take in the appropriate section on the form. They must also clarify their relationship to the organization that they represent in the presentation.
Note: Issues that are vague, or that are outside the scope of the APC Panel's purpose, will not be considered for presentations and comments. There will be no exceptions to this rule. We appreciate your cooperation on this matter.
We are also requiring electronic versions of the written comments and presentations, in addition to the hardcopies, to send
electronically to the Panel members for their review prior to the meeting.
In summary, presenters and/or commenters must do the following:
DOCUMENT SUMMARY: In accordance with section 10(a) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) (5 U.S.C. Appendix 2), this notice announces the first semiannual winter meeting of the Advisory Panel on Ambulatory Payment Classification (APC) Groups (the Panel) for 2008. The purpose of the Panel is to review the APC groups and their associated weights and to advise the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) (the Secretary) and the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) (the Administrator) concerning the clinical integrity of the APC groups and their associated weights. We will consider the Panel's advice as we prepare the proposed rule that updates the hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) for CY 2009.
SUMMARY: Medicare—; Ambulatory Payment Classification Groups Advisory Panel,
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
I. BackgroundThe Secretary is required by section 1833(t)(9)(A) of the Social Security Act (the Act), as amended by section 201(h) of the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Balanced Budget Refinement Act of 1999 (BBRA) (Pub. L. 106113), and redesignated by section 202(a)(2) of the BBRA] to establish and consult with an expert outside advisory panel regarding the clinical integrity of the APC groups and weights that are components of the hospital OPPS.
The APC Panel meets up to three times annually. The Charter requires that the Panel must be fairly balanced in its membership in terms of the points of view represented and the functions to be performed. The Panel consists of up to 15 members who are
representatives of providers and a chairperson.
Each Panel member must be employed fulltime by a hospital, hospital system, or other Medicare provider subject to payment under the OPPS. All Panel members must have technical expertise that enables them to participate fully in the work of the Panel. The expertise encompasses hospital payment systems, hospital medicalcare delivery systems, provider billing systems, outpatient payment requirements, APC groups, Current Procedural Terminology codes, and the use and payment of drugs and medical devices in the outpatient setting, as well as other forms of relevant expertise. Details regarding membership requirements for the APC Panel are found on the CMS and FACA Web sites as listed above.
The Panel presently consists of the following members:
II. Agenda
The agenda for the March 2008 meeting will provide the opportunity
for discussion and comment on the following topics as designated in the Panel's Charter:
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Note: The subject matter before the Panel will be limited to these and related topics. Issues related to calculation of the OPPS conversion factor, charge compression, passthrough payments, and wage adjustments are not within the scope of the Panel's purpose. Therefore, these issues will not be considered for presentations and/or comments. There will be no exceptions to this rule. We appreciate your cooperation on this matter.
The Panel may use data collected or developed by entities and organizations, other than DHHS and CMS, in conducting its review. We urge organizations to submit data for the Panel's and CMS staff's review.
III. Written Comments and Suggested Agenda Topics
Send hardcopy and electronic written comments and suggested agenda topics to the DFO at the address indicated above. The DFO must receive these items by 5 p.m. (e.s.t.), Thursday, February 7, 2008. There will be no exceptions. We appreciate your cooperation on this matter.
The written comments and suggested agenda topics submitted for the March 2008 APC Panel meeting must fall within the subject categories outlined in the Panel's Charter and as listed in the Agenda section of this notice.
IV. Oral Presentations
Individuals or organizations wishing to make 5minute oral presentations must submit hardcopy and electronic versions of their presentations to the DFO by 5 p.m. (e.s.t.), Thursday, February 7, 2008, for consideration.
The number of oral presentations may be limited by the time available. Oral presentations should not exceed 5 minutes in length for an individual or an organization.
The Chairperson may further limit the time allowed for presentations due to the number of oral presentations, if necessary. V. Presenter and Presentation Information
All presenters must submit Form CMS20017 (revised 01/07). Hardcopies are required for oral presentations; however, electronic submissions of Form CMS20017 are optional. The DFO must receive the following information from those wishing to make oral presentations:
VI. Oral Comments
In addition to formal oral presentations, there will be opportunity during the meeting for public oral comments, which will be limited to 1 minute for each individual and a total of 3 minutes per organization. VII. Meeting Attendance
The meeting is open to the public; however, attendance is limited to space available. Attendance will be determined on a firstcome, firstserved basis.
Persons wishing to attend this meeting, which is located on Federal property, must email the Panel DFO to register in advance no later than 5 p.m. (e.s.t.), Wednesday, February 27, 2008. A confirmation will be sent to the requester(s) via return email.
The following personal information must be emailed to the DFO by the date and time above:
VIII. Security, Building, and Parking Guidelines
The following are the security, building, and parking guidelines:
IX. Special Accommodations
Individuals requiring signlanguage interpretation or other special accommodations must send a request for these services to the DFO by 5 p.m. (e.s.t.), Wednesday, February 27, 2008.
Authority: Section 1833(t)(9) of the Act (42 U.S.C. 1395l(t)).
The Panel is governed by the provisions of Pub. L. 92463, as amended (5 U.S.C. Appendix 2).
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program No. 93.773,
MedicareHospital Insurance; and Program No. 93.774, Medicare Supplementary Medical Insurance Program).
Dated: November 20, 2007.
Kerry Weems,
Acting Administrator, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. [FR Doc. E724265 Filed 122707; 8:45 am]
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