[Federal Register: February 23, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 36)]
[Notices]
[Page 8177-8179]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr23fe07-59]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
[CMS-1544-N]
Program; Public Meetings in Calendar Year 2007 for All New Public
Requests for Revisions to the Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System
(HCPCS) Coding and Payment Determinations
AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), HHS.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: This notice announces the dates, time, and location of the
Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) public meetings to be
held in calendar year 2007 to discuss our preliminary coding and
payment determinations for all new public requests for revisions to the
HCPCS. These meetings provide a forum for interested parties to make
oral presentations or to submit written comments in response to
preliminary coding and payment determinations. Discussion will be
directed toward responses to our specific preliminary recommendations
and will include all items on the public meeting agenda.
DATES: Meeting Dates: The following are the 2007 HCPCS public meeting
dates:
1. Tuesday, May 1, 2007, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., e.s.t. (Supplies and
Other)
2. Wednesday, May 2, 2007, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., e.s.t. (Supplies and
Other)
3. Thursday, May 3, 2007, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., e.s.t. (Durable Medical
Equipment (DME) and Accessories).
4. Tuesday, May 15, 2007, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., e.s.t. (Drugs/
Biologicals/Radiopharmaceuticals/Radiologic Imaging Agents)
5. Wednesday, May 16, 2007, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., e.s.t. (Drugs/
Biologicals/Radiopharmaceuticals/Radiologic Imaging Agents)
6. Tuesday, May 22, 2007, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., e.s.t. (Orthotics and
Prosthetics)
7. Wednesday, May 23, 2007, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., e.s.t. (Orthotics and
Prosthetics)
The product category reported by the meeting participant may not be
the same as that assigned by CMS. All meeting participants are advised
to review the public meeting agenda at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/medhcpcsgeninfo
which identifies our category determinations, and the
dates each item will be discussed. Draft agendas, including a summary
of each request and CMS' preliminary decision will be posted on our
HCPCS Web site at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/medhcpcsgeninfo at least 1
month before each meeting.
Registration Deadlines: Individuals must register for each date
they plan either to attend or to provide a presentation. For the May 1,
2, and 3, 2007 public meeting dates, the deadline for registration is
April 24, 2007; for the May 15 and 16, 2007 public meeting, the
deadline for registration is May 8, 2007; for the May 22 and 23, 2007
public meetings, the deadline for registration is May 15, 2007.
Deadlines for Submission of Supporting Material: The deadline for
submitting materials and writings that will be used in support of an
oral presentation are: Public meetings held on May 1, 2, and 3, 2007,
the deadline is April 17, 2007; public meetings held on May 15 and 16,
2007, the deadline is May 1, 2007; public meeting held on May 22 and
23, 2007, the deadline is May 8, 2007.
ADDRESSES: Meeting Location: The public meetings will be held in the
main auditorium of the central building of the Centers for Medicare and
Medicaid Services, 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21244-1850
Registration and Special Accommodations: Individuals wishing to
participate or who need special accommodations or both must register by
completing the on-line registration located at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/medhcpcsgeninfo
; or by contacting Felicia Eggleston at (410)786-9287; felicia.eggleston@cms.hhs.gov or Gloria Knight at (410)786-4598;
Gloria.Knight@cms.hhs.gov, for the meetings for May 1, May 2, May 3,
2007 meetings.
For the May 15, May 16, May 22, and May 23, 2007 meetings, contact
Jennifer Carver at (410)786-6610; Jennifer.Carver@cms.hhs.gov or Trish
Brooks at (410)786-4561; Trish.Brooks@cms.hhs.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer Carver, 410-786-6610 or
Jennifer.carver@cms.hhs.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
On December 21, 2000, the Congress passed the Medicare, Medicaid,
and SCHIP Benefits Improvement and Protection Act of 2000 (BIPA) (Pub.
L. 106-554). Section 531(b) of BIPA mandated that we establish
procedures that permit public consultation for coding and payment
determinations for new durable medical equipment (DME) under Medicare
Part B of title XVIII of the Social Security Act (the Act). The
procedures and public meetings announced in this notice for new DME are
in response to the mandate of section 531(b) of BIPA.
We published a notice in the November 23, 2001 Federal Register (66
FR 58743) providing information regarding the establishment of the
public meeting process for DME. It is our intent to distribute any
materials submitted to CMS to the HCPCS workgroup members for their
consideration. CMS and the HCPCS workgroup members require sufficient
preparation time to review all relevant materials. For this reason, our
HCPCS Public Meeting Coordinators will only accept and review
presentation materials received by the deadline for each public
meeting, as specified in the DATES section. Therefore, we are
implementing a 10-page submission limit and firm deadlines for receipt
of any materials and presentations the meeting participant wishes CMS
to consider.
The public meeting process provides an opportunity for the public
to become aware of coding changes under consideration, as well as an
opportunity for CMS to gather public input.
II. Meeting Registration
The following information must be provided when registering: Name,
company name and address, telephone and fax numbers, e-mail address,
and special needs information. A CMS staff member will confirm your
registration by mail, e-mail, or fax.
A. Registration Process for Primary Speakers
Individuals must also indicate whether they are the ``primary
speaker''
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for an agenda item. Primary speakers must be designated by the entity
that submitted the HCPCS coding request. When registering, primary
speakers must provide a brief written statement regarding the nature of
the information they intend to provide, and advise the HCPCS Public
Meeting Coordinator regarding needs for audio/visual support. To avoid
disruption of the meeting and ensure compatibility with our systems,
tapes and disk files are tested and arranged in speaker sequence well
in advance of the meeting. We will accept tapes and disk files that are
received by the ``Submission Deadline'' for each public meeting, as
specified in the DATES section of this notice. The sum of all materials
including presentation may not exceed 10 pages (each side of a page
counts as 1 page). An exception will be made to the 10-page limit for
relevant studies published between the application deadline and the
public meeting date, in which case, we would like a copy of the
complete publication as soon as possible.
These materials may be delivered by regular mail or by e-mail to
the respective HCPCS Public Meeting Coordinators as specified in the
ADDRESSES section. Individuals will need to provide 35 copies if
materials are delivered by mail.
B. Registration Process for 5-Minute Speakers
In order to afford the same opportunity to all attendees, there is
no pre-registration for 5-minute speakers. Attendees can sign up only
on the day of the meeting to do a 5-minute presentation. They must
provide their name, company name and address, contact information as
specified on the sign-up sheet, and identify the specific agenda item
that they will address.
C. Additional Registration Information
Additional details regarding the public meeting process for all new
public requests for revisions to the HCPCS, along with information on
how to register and guidelines for an effective presentation, will be
posted at least 1 month before the first meeting date on the HCPCS Web
site: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/medhcpcsgeninfo. Individuals who intend to
provide a presentation at a public meeting need to familiarize
themselves with the HCPCS Web site and the valuable information it
provides to prospective registrants. The HCPCS Web site, also contains
a document titled ``The Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System
(HCPCS) Level II Coding Procedures,'' which is a description of the
HCPCS coding process, including a detailed explanation of the
procedures used to make coding and payment determinations for all the
products, supplies, and services that are coded in the HCPCS. A summary
of each public meeting will be posted on the HCPCS Web site by the end
of August 2007.
III. Presentations and Comment Format
We can only estimate the amount of meeting time that will be needed
since it is difficult to anticipate the total number of speakers for
each meeting. Meeting participants should arrive early since each
meeting is anticipated to begin promptly at 9 a.m. Speakers need to
arrive prepared and wait until it is their turn to speak. Meetings may
end earlier than the stated ending time.
A. Oral Presentation Procedures
Individuals who are planning to provide an oral presentation must
register as provided under the section titled ``Meeting Registration.''
Materials and writings that will be used in support of an oral
presentation should be submitted to the HCPCS Public Meeting
Coordinators as specified in the DATES section.
These materials may be delivered by regular mail (postmark date no
later than deadline date) or by e-mail to the respective HCPCS Public
Meeting Coordinators specified in the ADDRESSES section. Individuals
will need to include 35 copies if materials are delivered by mail.
B. Primary Speaker Presentations
The individual or entity requesting revisions to the HCPCS coding
system for a particular agenda item may designate one ``primary
speaker'' to make a presentation for a maximum of 15 minutes. Fifteen
minutes is the total time interval for the presentation, and the
presentation must incorporate the demonstration, set-up, and
distribution of material. In establishing the public meeting agenda, we
may group multiple, related requests under the same agenda item. In
that case, we will decide whether additional time will be allotted, and
may opt to increase the amount of time allotted to the speaker by
increments of less than 15 minutes.
We will post ``Guidelines for Participation in Public Meetings for
All New Public Requests for Revisions to the Healthcare Common
Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) Coding and Payment Determinations'' on
the official HCPCS Web site at least a month before the first public
meeting in 2007 for all new public requests for revisions to the HCPCS.
Individuals designated to be the primary speaker must register to
attend the meeting using the registration procedures described under
the section titled ``Meeting Registration'' and, at least 15 days
before the meeting, contact the appropriate HCPCS Public Meeting
Coordinators, specified in the ADDRESSES section.
C. ``5-Minute'' Speaker Presentations
Meeting attendees can sign up at the meeting, on a first-come,
first-served basis, to make 5-minute presentations on individual agenda
items. Based on the number of items on the agenda and the progress of
the meeting, a determination will be made at the meeting by the meeting
coordinator and the meeting moderator regarding how many 5-minute
speakers can be accommodated.
D. Speaker Declaration
On the day of the meeting, before the end of the meeting, all
primary speakers and 5-minute speakers must provide a brief written
summary of their comments and conclusions to the HCPCS Public Meeting
Coordinator.
The primary speakers and the 5-minute speakers must declare in
their presentations at the meeting, as well as in their written
summaries, whether they have any financial involvement with the
manufacturers or competitors of any items or services being discussed;
this includes any payment, salary, remuneration, or benefit provided to
that speaker by the manufacturer or the manufacturer's representatives.
E. Written Comments From Meeting Attendees
Written comments can be submitted either the before or at the
meeting via e-mail to http://www.cms.hhs.gov/medhcpcsgeninfo or via
regular mail to the HCPCS Public Meeting Coordinator, Centers for
Medicare & Medicaid Services, 7500 Security Boulevard, Mail Stop C5-08-
27, Baltimore, MD 21244. Due to the close timing of the public
meetings, subsequent workgroup reconsiderations, and final decisions,
we are able to consider only those comments received in writing by the
close of the public meeting at which the request is discussed. Written
comments to this address are also accepted from the general public
anytime up to the date of the public meeting at which a request is
discussed.
IV. Security, Building, and Parking Guidelines
The meetings are held in a Federal government building; therefore,
Federal security measures are applicable. In planning your arrival
time, we recommend allowing additional time to clear security. In order
to gain access to
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the building and grounds, participants must bring government-issued
photo identification and a copy of your written meeting registration
confirmation. Persons without proper identification will be denied
access.
Individuals who are not registered in advance will not be permitted
to enter the building and will be unable to attend the meeting. The
public may not enter the building earlier than 45 minutes before the
convening of the meeting each day.
Security measures will also include inspection of vehicles, inside
and outside, at the entrance to the grounds and buildings. In addition,
all persons entering the building must pass through a metal detector.
All items brought to CMS are subject to inspection. We cannot assume
responsibility for coordinating the receipt, transfer, transport,
storage, set-up, safety, or timely arrival of any personal belongings
or items used for demonstration or to support a presentation. Special
arrangements and approvals are required in order to bring pieces of
equipment or medical devices at least two weeks prior to each public
meeting. These arrangements need to be made with the appropriate public
meeting coordinator. It is possible that certain requests, made in
advance, of the public meeting could be denied because of unique
safety, security or handling issues related to the equipment. A minimum
of two weeks is required for approvals and security procedures. Any
request not submitted at least two weeks in advance of the public
meeting will be denied.
Parking permits and instructions are issued upon arrival by the
guards at the main entrance.
All visitors must be escorted in areas other than the lower and
first-floor levels in the Central Building.
Authority: Section 1102 and 1871 of the Social Security Act (42
U.S.C. 1302 and 42 U.S.C. 1395hh).
Dated: January 29, 2007.
Leslie V. Norwalk,
Acting Administrator, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
[FR Doc. E7-3034 Filed 2-22-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-01-P