[Federal Register: December 28, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 248)]
[Notices]
[Page 73843-73845]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr28de07-114]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
[CMS-1323-N]
Medicare Program; Semi-Annual Winter Meeting of the Advisory
Panel on Ambulatory Payment Classification Groups--March 5, 6, and 7,
2008
AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Department of Health
and Human Services.
ACTION: Notice.
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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 semi-annual 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.
DATES: Meeting Dates: We are scheduling the first semi-annual winter
meeting in 2008 for the following dates and times:
Wednesday, March 5, 2008, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. (e.s.t.) \1\
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\1\ The times listed in this notice are approximate times;
consequently, the meetings may last longer than listed in this
notice--but will not begin before the posted times.
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Thursday, March 6, 2008, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (e.s.t.) \1\
Friday, March 7, 2008, 8 a.m. to 12 noon (e.s.t.) \2\
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\2\ If the business of the Panel concludes on Thursday, March 6,
there will be no Friday meeting.
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Deadlines:
Deadline for Hardcopy Comments/Suggested Agenda Topics--5 p.m.
(e.s.t.), Thursday, February 7, 2008.
[[Page 73844]]
Deadline for Hardcopy Presentations--5 p.m. (e.s.t.), Thursday,
February 7, 2008.
Deadline for Attendance Registration--5 p.m. (e.s.t.), Wednesday,
February 27, 2008.
Deadline for Special Accommodations--5 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 CMS-20017 (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 CMS-20017 (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:
Send both electronic and hardcopy versions of their
presentations and written comments by the prescribed deadlines.
Send electronic transmissions to the e-mail address below.
Do not send pictures of patients in any of the documents
unless their faces have been blocked out.
Do not send documents electronically that have been
archived.
Mail (or send by courier) to the DFO all hardcopies,
accompanied by Form CMS-20017 (revised 01/07), if they are presenting,
as specified in the FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this notice.
Commenters are not required to send Form CMS-20017 with
their written comments.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held in the Auditorium, CMS Central
Office, 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, Maryland 21244-1850.
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information, contact: Shirl
Ackerman-Ross, DFO, CMS, CMM, HAPG, DOC, 7500 Security Boulevard, Mail
Stop C4-05-17, Baltimore, MD 21244-1850. Phone: (410) 786-4474.
Note: Please advise couriers of the following: When delivering
hardcopies of presentations to CMS, if no one answers at the above
phone number, please call (410) 786-4532 or (410) 786-9316.)
E-mail address for comments, presentations, and registration
requests is CMS APCPanel@cms.hhs.gov. Note: There is no underscore in
this e-mail address; there is a space between CMS and APC Panel.
News media representatives must contact our Public Affairs Office
at (202) 690-6145.
Advisory Committees' Information Lines: The phone numbers for the
CMS Federal Advisory Committee Hotline are 1-877-449-5659 (toll free)
and (410) 786-9379 (local).
Web Sites: Please search the CMS Web site at http://www.cms.&hhs.gov/FACA/05_AdvisoryPanelonAmbulatoryPaymentClassificationGroups.asp#TopOfPage
in
order to obtain the following information:
Note: There is an underscore after FACA/05 (like this--); there
is no space.
Additional information on the APC meeting agenda topics,
Updates to the Panel's activities,
Copies of the current Charter, and
Membership requirements.
You may also search information about the APC Panel and its
membership in the FACA database at the following URL: https://www.fido.gov/facadatabase/public.asp
.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
The 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. 106-113), and re-designated 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 full-time 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 medical-care 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:
E.L. Hambrick, M.D., J.D., Chair
Gloryanne Bryant, B.S., R.H.I.A., R.H.I.T., C.C.S.
Patrick Grusenmeyer, Ph.D.
Hazel Kimmel, R.N., C.C.S., C.P.C.
Michael Mills, Ph.D.
Thomas Munger, M.D.
Agatha Nolan, D.Ph., M.S.
Beverly Khnie Philip, M.D.
Louis Potters, M.D., F.A.C.R.
Russ Ranallo, M.S.
James V. Rawson, M.D.
Michael Ross, M.D.
Judie S. Snipes, R.N., M.B.A., F.A.C.H.E.
Patricia Spencer-Cisek, M.S., APRN-BC, AOCN[supreg].
Kim Allan Williams, M.D., F.A.C.C., F.A.B.C.
Robert M. Zwolak, M.D., Ph.D. F.A.C.S.
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:
Reconfiguring APCs (for example, splitting of APCs, moving
Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) codes from one APC to
another and moving HCPCS codes from new technology APCs to clinical
APCs).
Evaluating APC weights.
Packaging device and drug costs into APCs methodology,
effect on APCs, and the need for reconfiguring APCs based upon device
and drug packaging.
Removing procedures for payment from the inpatient list
under the OPPS.
[[Page 73845]]
Using single and multiple procedure claims data.
Addressing other APC structure technical issues.
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, pass-through 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 5-minute 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 CMS-20017 (revised 01/07).
Hardcopies are required for oral presentations; however, electronic
submissions of Form CMS-20017 are optional. The DFO must receive the
following information from those wishing to make oral presentations:
Form CMS-20017 completed with all pertinent information
identified on the first page of the presentation.
One hardcopy of presentation.
Electronic copy of presentation.
Personal registration information as described in the
Meeting Attendance section below.
Those persons wishing to submit comments only must send
hardcopy and electronic versions of their comments, but they are not
required to submit Form CMS-20017.
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 first-come,
first-served basis.
Persons wishing to attend this meeting, which is located on Federal
property, must e-mail 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 e-mail.
The following personal information must be e-mailed to the DFO by
the date and time above:
Name(s) of attendee(s),
Title(s),
Organization,
E-mail address(es), and
Telephone number(s).
VIII. Security, Building, and Parking Guidelines
The following are the security, building, and parking guidelines:
Persons attending the meeting--including presenters--must
be registered and on the attendance list by the prescribed date.
Individuals who are not registered in advance will not be
permitted to enter the building and will be unable to attend the
meeting.
Attendees must present photographic identification to the
Federal Protective Service or Guard Service personnel before entering
the building.
Security measures 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 into CMS--including personal items such
as desktops, cell phones, palm pilots--are subject to physical
inspection.
The public may enter the building 30-45 minutes before the
meeting convenes each day.
All visitors must be escorted in areas other than the
lower and first-floor levels in the Central Building.
The main-entrance guards will issue parking permits and
instructions upon arrival at the building.
IX. Special Accommodations
Individuals requiring sign-language 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. 92-463, as
amended (5 U.S.C. Appendix 2).
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program No. 93.773,
Medicare-Hospital 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. E7-24265 Filed 12-27-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-01-P