[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 146 (Friday, July 30, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44971-44972]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-18140]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
[CMS-2480-NC]
Medicaid Program; Request for Comments on Legislative Changes To
Provide Quality of Care to Children
AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), HHS.
ACTION: Notice with Comments.
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SUMMARY: This notice requests comments from the public for our
consideration in developing the Secretary's recommendations for
legislative changes to improve the quality of care provided to children
under Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program, including
recommendations for quality reporting by the States. The Children's
Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 (CHIPRA) requires
the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide to Congress
recommendations for legislative changes to improve the quality of care
provided to children under Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance
Program.
DATES: Comment Date: To be assured consideration, comments must be
received at one of the addresses provided below, no later than 5 p.m.
on August 30, 2010.
ADDRESSES: In commenting, please refer to file code CMS-2480-NC.
Because of staff and resource limitations, we cannot accept comments by
facsimile (FAX) transmission.
You may submit comments in one of four ways (please choose only one
of the ways listed):
1. Electronically. You may submit electronic comments on this
regulation to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions under
the ``More Search Options'' tab.
2. By regular mail. You may mail written comments to the following
address ONLY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Department of
Health and Human Services, Attention: CMS-2480-NC, P.O. Box 8010,
Baltimore, MD 21244-1850.
Please allow sufficient time for mailed comments to be received
before the close of the comment period.
3. By express or overnight mail. You may send written comments to
the following address only: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services,
Department of Health and Human Services, Attention: CMS-2480-NC, Mail
Stop C4-26-05, 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21244-1850.
[Note: This zip code for express mail or courier delivery only. This
zip code specifies the agency's physical location.]
4. By hand or courier. If you prefer, you may deliver (by hand or
courier) your written comments before the close of the comment period
to either of the following addresses: a. For delivery in Washington,
DC--Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Department of Health and
Human Services, Room 445-G, Hubert H. Humphrey Building, 200
Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20201.
(Because access to the interior of the Hubert H. Humphrey Building
is not readily available to persons without Federal government
identification, commenters are encouraged to leave their comments in
the CMS drop slots located in the main lobby of the building. A
stamp-in clock is available for persons wishing to retain a proof of
filing by stamping in and retaining an extra copy of the comments
being filed.)
b. For delivery in Baltimore, MD--Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services, Department of Health and Human Services, 7500 Security
Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21244-1850. [Note: This zip code for express
mail or courier delivery only. This zip code specifies the agency's
physical location.]
If you intend to deliver your comments to the Baltimore address,
please call telephone number (410) 786-7195 in advance to schedule your
arrival with one of our staff members. Comments mailed to the addresses
indicated as appropriate for hand or courier delivery may be delayed
and received after the comment period.
For information on viewing public comments, see the beginning of
the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Charles K. MacKay (410) 786-2106.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Inspection of Public Comments: All comments
received before the close of the comment period are available for
viewing by the public, including any personally identifiable or
confidential business information that is included in a comment. We
post all comments received before the close of the comment period on
the following Web site as soon as possible after they have been
received: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the search instructions on
that Web site to view public comments.
Comments received timely will also be available for public
inspection as they are received, generally beginning approximately 3
weeks after publication of a document, at the headquarters of the
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
[[Page 44972]]
Services, 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, Maryland 21244, Monday
through Friday of each week from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. To schedule an
appointment to view public comments, phone 1-800-743-3951.
I. Background
Section 401(a) of the Children's Health Insurance Program
Reauthorization Act of 2009 (Pub. L. 111-3) (CHIPRA), added section
1139A to the Social Security Act (the Act). Section 1139A(a)(6), as
added by section (401)(a), requires the Secretary to report to the
Congress by January 1, 2011, and every 3 years thereafter, on the
status of the following factors that influence the quality of care
given to children under the Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance
Program.
The duration and stability of health insurance coverage
for children under titles XIX and XXI of the Social Security Act.
The quality of care provided under titles XIX and XXI for:
+ Preventive health care services.
+ Health care for acute conditions.
+ Chronic health care.
+ Health services to ameliorate the effects of physical and mental
conditions and to aid in the growth and development of infants, young
children, school-age children, and adolescents with special health care
needs.
The quality of children's health care under titles XIX and
XXI, across the various domains of quality, including:
+ Clinical quality.
+ Health care safety.
+ Family experience with health care.
+ Health care in the most integrated setting.
+ Elimination of racial, ethnic, and socio-economic disparities in
health and health care.
The status of voluntary reporting by States under titles
XIX and XXI, utilizing the initial core quality measurement set. Based
on the assessment of these factors affecting the quality of care given
to children under titles XIX and XXI, the Secretary is also required to
make any recommendations for legislative changes that are needed to
improve the quality of care provided to children under titles XIX and
XXI, including recommendations for quality reporting by the States.
II. Solicitation of Comments
We request public comments for consideration in the formulation of
legislative changes to be recommended by the Secretary, including
requirements for the process and content of quality reporting by the
States. We request that these suggestions address the dimensions of
quality and the subject areas listed above.
III. Response to Comments
Because of the large number of public comments we normally receive
on Federal Register documents, we are not able to acknowledge or
respond to them individually. We will consider all comments we receive
by the date and time specified in the DATES section of this preamble,
and, when we proceed with a subsequent document, we will respond to the
comments in the preamble to that document.
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program No. 93.778, Medical
Assistance Program)
Dated: July 19, 2010.
Marilyn Tavenner,
Principal Deputy Administrator, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services.
[FR Doc. 2010-18140 Filed 7-29-10; 8:45 am]
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