79192 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 245 / Wednesday, December 21, 2011 / Notices 

paper comment to the Commission by 

courier or overnight service. 

Visit the Commission Web site at 

http://www.ftc.gov to read this Notice 

and the news release describing it. The 

FTC Act and other laws that the 

Commission administers permit the 

collection of public comments to 

consider and use in this proceeding as 

appropriate. The Commission will 

consider all timely and responsive 

public comments that it receives on or 

before January 20, 2012. You can find 

more information, including routine 

uses permitted by the Privacy Act, in 

the Commission’s privacy policy, at 

http://www.ftc.gov/ftc/privacy.shtm. 

Comments on the information 

collection requirements subject to 

review under the PRA should also be 

submitted to OMB. If sent by U.S. mail, 

address comments to: Office of 

Information and Regulatory Affairs, 

Office of Management and Budget, 

Attention: Desk Officer for the Federal 

Trade Commission, New Executive 

Office Building, Docket Library, Room 

10102, 725 17th Street NW., 

Washington, DC 20503. Comments sent 

to OMB by U.S. postal mail, however, 

are subject to delays due to heightened 

security precautions. Thus, comments 

instead should be sent by facsimile to 

(202) 395–5167. 

Willard K. Tom, 

General Counsel. 

[FR Doc. 2011–32574 Filed 12–20–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6750–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Agency for Healthcare Research and 

Quality 

Patient Safety Organizations: 

Voluntary Relinquishment From HSMS 

Patient Safety Organization 

AGENCY: Agency for Healthcare Research 

and Quality (AHRQ), HHS. 

ACTION: Notice of Delisting. 

SUMMARY: AHRQ has accepted a 

notification of voluntary relinquishment 

from the HSMS Patient Safety 

Organization of its status as a Patient 

Safety Organization (PSO). The Patient 

Safety and Quality Improvement Act of 

2005 (Patient Safety Act), Public Law 

109–41, 42 U.S.C. 299b–21–b–26, 

provides for the formation of PSOs, 

which collect, aggregate, and analyze 

confidential information regarding the 

quality and safety of health care 

delivery. The Patient Safety and Quality 

Improvement Final Rule (Patient Safety 

Rule), 42 CFR part 3, authorizes AHRQ, 

on behalf of the Secretary of HHS, to list 

as a PSO an entity that attests that it 

meets the statutory and regulatory 

requirements for listing. A PSO can be 

‘‘delisted’’ by the Secretary if it is found 

to no longer meet the requirements of 

the Patient Safety Act and Patient Safety 

Rule, including when a PSO chooses to 

voluntarily relinquish its status as a 

PSO for any reason. 

DATES: The directories for both listed 

and delisted PSOs are ongoing and 

reviewed weekly by AHRQ. The 

delisting was effective at 12:00 Midnight 

ET (2400) on December 6, 2011. 

ADDRESSES: Both directories can be 

accessed electronically at the following 

HHS Web site: http:// 

www.pso.AHRQ.gov/index.html. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Susan Grinder, Center for Quality 

Improvement and Patient Safety, AHRQ, 

540 Gaither Road, Rockville, MD 20850; 

Telephone (toll free): (866) 403–3697; 

Telephone (local): (301) 427–1111; TTY 

(toll free): (866) 438–7231; TTY (local): 

(301) 427–1130; Email: 

pso@AHRQ.hhs.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

The Patient Safety Act authorizes the 

listing of PSOs, which are entities or 

component organizations whose 

mission and primary activity is to 

conduct activities to improve patient 

safety and the quality of health care 

delivery. 

HHS issued the Patient Safety Rule to 

implement the Patient Safety Act. 

AHRQ administers the provisions of the 

Patient Safety Act and Patient Safety 

Rule (PDF file, 450 KB. PDF Help) 

relating to the listing and operation of 

PSOs. Section 3.108(d) of the Patient 

Safety Rule requires AHRQ to provide 

public notice when it removes an 

organization from the list of federally 

approved PSOs. AHRQ has accepted a 

notification from the HSMS Patient 

Safety Organization, PSO number 

P0077, which is a component entity of 

Healthcare Safety Management Systems, 

Inc., to voluntarily relinquish its status 

as a PSO. Accordingly, the HSMS 

Patient Safety Organization was delisted 

effective at 12:00 Midnight ET (2400) on 

December 6, 2011. 

More information on PSOs can be 

obtained through AHRQ’s PSO Web site 

at http://www.pso.AHRQ.gov/ 

index.html. 

Dated: December 14, 2011. 

Carolyn M. Clancy, 

Director. 

[FR Doc. 2011–32578 Filed 12–20–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4160–90–M 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Agency for Healthcare Research and 

Quality 

Patient Safety Organizations: 

Voluntary Relinquishment From the 

Georgia Hospital Association 

Research and Education Foundation 

Patient Safety Organization (GHA– 

PSO) 

AGENCY: Agency for Healthcare Research 

and Quality (AHRQ), HHS. 

ACTION: Notice of delisting. 

SUMMARY: AHRQ has accepted a 

notification of voluntary relinquishment 

from The Georgia Hospital Association 

Research and Education Foundation 

Patient Safety Organization (GHA–PSO) 

of its status as a Patient Safety 

Organization (PSO). The Patient Safety 

and Quality Improvement Act of 2005 

(Patient Safety Act), Pub. L. 109–41, 42 

U.S.C. 299b–21—b–26, provides for the 

formation of PSOs, which collect, 

aggregate, and analyze confidential 

information regarding the quality and 

safety of health care delivery. The 

Patient Safety and Quality Improvement 

Final Rule (Patient Safety Rule), 42 CFR 

part 3, authorizes AHRQ, on behalf of 

the Secretary of HHS, to list as a PSO 

an entity that attests that it meets the 

statutory and regulatory requirements 

for listing. A PSO can be ‘‘delisted’’ by 

the Secretary if it is found to no longer 

meet the requirements of the Patient 

Safety Act and Patient Safety Rule, 

including when a PSO chooses to 

voluntarily relinquish its status as a 

PSO for any reason. 

DATES: The directories for both listed 

and delisted PSOs are ongoing and 

reviewed weekly by AHRQ. The 

delisting was effective at 12:00 Midnight 

ET (2400) on December 6, 2011. 

ADDRESSES: Both directories can be 

accessed electronically at the following 

HHS Web site: http:// 

www.pso.AHRQ.gov/index.html. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Susan Grinder, Center for Quality 

Improvement and Patient Safety, AHRQ, 

540 Gaither Road, Rockville, MD 20850; 

Telephone (toll free): (866) 403–3697; 

Telephone (local): (301) 427–1111; TTY 

(toll free): (866) 438–7231; TTY (local): 

(301) 427–1130; Email: 

pso@AHRQ.hhs.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

The Patient Safety Act authorizes the 

listing of PSOs, which are entities or 

component organizations whose 

mission and primary activity is to 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 245 / Wednesday, December 21, 2011 / Notices 79193 

conduct activities to improve patient 

safety and the quality of health care 

delivery. 

HHS issued the Patient Safety Rule to 

implement the Patient Safety Act. 

AHRQ administers the provisions of the 

Patient Safety Act and Patient Safety 

Rule (PDF file, 450 KB. PDF Help) 

relating to the listing and operation of 

PSOs. Section 3.108(d) of the Patient 

Safety Rule requires AHRQ to provide 

public notice when it removes an 

organization from the list of federally 

approved PSOs. AHRQ has accepted a 

notification from The Georgia Hospital 

Association Research and Education 

Foundation Patient Safety Organization 

(GHA–PSO), PSO number P0057, which 

is a component entity of the Georgia 

Hospital Association Research and 

Education Foundation, to voluntarily 

relinquish its status as a PSO. 

Accordingly, The Georgia Hospital 

Association Research and Education 

Foundation Patient Safety Organization 

(GHA–PSO) was delisted effective at 

12:00 Midnight ET (2400) on December 

6, 2011. 

More information on PSOs can be 

obtained through AHRQ’s PSO Web site 

at http://www.pso.AHRQ.gov/ 

index.html. 

Dated: December 14, 2011. 

Carolyn M. Clancy, 

Director. 

[FR Doc. 2011–32579 Filed 12–20–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4160–90–M 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 

Services 

[CMS–5048–N] 

Medicare Program; Independence at 

Home Demonstration Program 

AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & 

Medicaid Services (CMS), HHS. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: This notice creates a new 

demonstration program for chronically 

ill Medicare beneficiaries to test a 

payment incentive and service delivery 

system that utilizes physician and nurse 

practitioner directed home-based 

primary care teams aimed at improving 

health outcomes and reducing 

expenditures, beginning December 21, 

2011. 

DATES: Effective Date: This notice is 

effective on December 21, 2011. 

Application Deadline: February 6, 

2012 at 5 p.m., Eastern Standard Time 

(E.S.T.). 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Linda Colantino (410) 786–3343. 

Jennifer Brown (410) 786–4036. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background 

Section 3024 of the Patient Protection 

and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (the 

Affordable Care Act) (Pub. L. 111–148, 

enacted on March 23, 2010), amends 

title XVIII of the Social Security Act (the 

Act) by establishing the Independence 

at Home (IAH) Demonstration. 

The IAH Demonstration will test a 

service delivery model that utilizes 

physician and nurse practitioner 

directed primary care teams to provide 

services to high cost, chronically ill 

Medicare beneficiaries in their homes. 

Participating practices will be 

accountable for providing 

comprehensive, coordinated, 

continuous, and accessible care to highneed populations at home and 

coordinate health care across all 

treatment settings. Participating 

practices may share in savings under the 

demonstration if specified quality 

measures and savings targets are 

achieved. 

II. Provisions of the Notice 

We are seeking interested practices 

that can provide home-based primary 

care to Medicare beneficiaries for 

purposes of this demonstration. We 

anticipate that a wide variety of 

interested practices may be eligible to 

apply to the IAH Demonstration. The 

participants in the Demonstration will 

be multidisciplinary teams composed of 

various members such as physicians, 

nurse practitioners, physician assistants, 

pharmacists, social workers, and other 

supporting staff. The practices must be 

led by physicians or nurse practitioners 

and must have experience providing 

home-based primary care to patients 

with multiple chronic illnesses. These 

practices will also be organized, at least 

in part, for the purpose of providing 

physician services. Qualifying practices 

may share in savings. Providers cannot 

be participating in section 1899 of the 

Act, the Medicare Shared Savings 

Program, or other Medicare shared 

savings programs at the time of the 

Demonstration. 

Each participating practice must 

provide services to at least 200 

applicable beneficiaries during each 

year of the demonstration. A practice’s 

enrollment may vary over each year but 

must reach at least an average of 200 

applicable beneficiaries during the first 

year and not drop below that average for 

the remainder of the demonstration. 

There are three options available for 

practices to apply for the 

Demonstration. Practices may apply as a 

sole legal entity, consortium, or become 

a part of a national pool. These three 

options are for the purpose of 

establishing expenditure targets and 

determining incentive payments. 

Practices must enroll all existing 

patients meeting beneficiary eligibility 

criteria. 

Participating practices will make inhome visits tailored to an individual 

patient’s needs. Each practice must be 

available 24 hours per day, 7 days a 

week to carry out plans of care. 

Practices must use electronic health 

information systems, remote 

monitoring, and mobile diagnostic 

technology. 

Applicable beneficiaries are defined 

as Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) 

patients, who have at least 2 chronic 

illnesses, need assistance with 2 or more 

functional dependencies requiring the 

assistance of another person, have had 

a nonelective hospital admission within 

the last 12 months, and have received 

acute or subacute rehabilitation services 

within the last 12 months. Beneficiaries 

to be included in the Demonstration 

must be entitled to Medicare part A and 

enrolled in Medicare part B, not 

enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan 

or a Program for All-Inclusive Care for 

the Elderly, and cannot be enrolled in 

a practice that is part of the Medicare 

Shared Savings Program or other 

program that shares Medicare savings. 

We will establish a practice-specific 

spending target derived from claims, 

based on expected Medicare FFS 

utilization for each of the beneficiaries 

in the practices in the absence of the 

Demonstration. Annual spending targets 

will be calculated for each participating 

practice at the end of each performance 

year. The spending target will be 

derived from a base expenditure amount 

equal to the average payments under 

Medicare Part A and Part B. Savings 

will be calculated as the difference 

between each practice’s spending target 

and actual costs. Practices will also be 

required to meet quality performance 

standards in order to share in any 

savings. Under this 3-year 

demonstration, IAH providers will 

continue to bill and be paid standard 

Medicare FFS reimbursement. 

Applicants must submit completed 

applications following the format 

outlined in the Demonstration 

application instructions in order to be 

considered for review by CMS. 

Applications not received in this format 

will not be considered for review. 

For the Project Application and 

specific details regarding the IAH 

Demonstration, please refer to the CMS 

Web site at http://www.cms.gov/ 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES