[Federal Register: August 25, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 165)]
[Notices]
[Page 50429-50430]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr25au06-74]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
[CMS-4122-N]
Medicare Program; Town Hall Meeting on Proposed Collection and
Request for Comments on the Skilled Nursing Facility Advance
Beneficiary Notice
AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), HHS.
ACTION: Notice of meeting.
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SUMMARY: This notice announces a Town Hall meeting to solicit input
from the public on the proposed use of, and revisions to, the Skilled
Nursing Facility Advance Beneficiary Notice (SNFABN), CMS-10055 (2006),
and accompanying instructions. All interested parties are invited to
comment on the proposed SNFABN collection instrument and instructions,
including any of the following subjects: (1) The associated time and
administrative burden, (2) the ability of the proposed notice to
fulfill existing CMS requirements, and (3) ways to enhance the quality
and clarity of the information to be collected. The opinions and
alternatives provided during this meeting will assist us as we evaluate
our policy on issuing notices in skilled nursing facilities. The
meeting is open to the public, but attendance is limited to space
available.
DATES: Meeting Date: The Town Hall meeting announced in this notice
will be held on Tuesday, September 26, 2006 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
e.s.t.
[[Page 50430]]
ADDRESSES: The Town Hall meeting will be held in the main auditorium of
the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, 7500 Security
Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21244. Interested parties attending the
meeting must enter the building at the main entrance on the first floor
of the Central Building.
Written Questions or Statements: Any interested party may send
written comments by mail, fax, or electronically. We will accept
written testimony, questions, or other statements until September 20,
2006. Send written testimony, questions, or other statements to Centers
for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Medicare Enrollment Appeals Group,
Division of Consumer Protection, Mail Stop C2-12-16, 7500 Security
Boulevard, Baltimore, Maryland 21244-1850. Attention: Charlayne Van.
Fax: (410) 786-8883. E-mail:
charlayne.van@cms.hhs.gov.
Although written submissions will be accepted in advance of the
meeting, they may not be read during the meeting due to time
constraints.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Charlayne Van,(410) 786-8659,
charlayne.van@cms.hhs.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The current Skilled Nursing Facility Advance Beneficiary Notice
(SNFABN), CMS-10055 (2006), is a notice that the Skilled Nursing
Facility (SNF) gives to a Medicare beneficiary, or to his or her
authorized representative, before extended care items or services are
reduced or terminated, or before non-covered care is initiated. This
notice is issued when the SNF, the utilization review entity, the
quality improvement organization, or the Medicare contractor believes
that Medicare will not pay for or will not continue to pay for extended
care items and/or services that the SNF furnishes. Currently, SNFs may
also use official denial letters for the same purpose, and must use the
general Advance Beneficiary Notice (ABN-G) for Part B services.
In February of 2004, we held a Town Hall meeting to solicit
comments on the SNFABN. In response to the questions and comments
arising from the 2004 Town Hall meeting, we revised the SNFABN and
instructions for its use when delivered by a SNF and paid by Part A or
Part B. In July of 2006, we consumer tested the revised form and
instructions with Medicare beneficiaries, caregivers, and professional
SNF staff members.
In an effort to streamline the notice process and to alleviate
confusion for beneficiaries, the new form will replace the current
SNFABN for Part A services and the ABN for Part B items and/or
services. In addition, we are also considering voluntary uses of the
SNFABN so that alternatives, like the Notice of Exclusion from Medicare
Benefits (NEMB), will no longer be necessary.
II. Meeting Format
The initial portion of the meeting will be a presentation to
provide background on the evolution of the SNFABN and the current
notice structure. The remainder of the meeting will be reserved for
individual statements from interested parties.
The time for each participant to make statements may be limited
according to the number of registered participants. Therefore,
individuals who wish to make statements must contact the individual
identified in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section above, at the
time of registration to sign up to make a statement. Participants will
be permitted to speak in the order in which they sign up. If time
permits, comments from individuals not registered to speak will be
heard after scheduled statements.
III. Registration Instructions
Anyone who wishes to participate in the public meeting must notify
us, in advance, of their interest in attending, and also if they wish
to make a statement. Interested parties may register through the Town
Hall meeting Web site at SNF_06_Town_Hall@cms.hhs.gov. Please submit
the following information when registering: name, company name,
address, telephone number and e-mail address. Individuals requiring
sign language interpretation or other special accommodations must
provide that information upon registration for the meeting. If you have
trouble registering over the Internet, you may contact Charlayne Van at
(410) 786-8659 or by e-mail at charlayne.van@cms.hhs.gov.
IV. Security, Building, and Parking Guidelines
Because this meeting will be located on Federal property, for
security reasons, any persons wishing to attend this meeting must
register by close of business on September 20, 2006. Individuals who
have not registered in advance will not be allowed to enter the
building to attend the meeting. Seating capacity is limited to the
first 250 registrants.
The on-site check-in for visitors will be held from 12 noon until 1
p.m. Please allow sufficient time to go through the security
checkpoints. It is suggested that you arrive at 7500 Security Boulevard
no later than 12 noon so that you will be able to arrive promptly at
the meeting by 1 p.m. All items brought to the building, whether
personal or for the purpose of demonstration or to support a
presentation, are subject to inspection.
Security measures will include inspection of vehicles, inside and
out, at the entrance to the grounds. In addition, all persons entering
the building must pass through a metal detector. All items brought to
CMS, including personal items such as desktops, cell phones, and palm
pilots, are subject to physical inspection.
Authority : Section 1879 of the Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C.
1395pp.
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program No. 93.774,
Medicare--Supplementary Medical Insurance Program)
Dated: August 18, 2006.
Mark B. McClellan,
Administrator, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. CMS-4122-N 2
[FR Doc. E6-14147 Filed 8-24-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-01-P