Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 242 / Friday, December 16, 2011 / Notices 78281 

[FR Doc. 2011–32107 Filed 12–15–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4120–01–C 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 

Services 

[CMS–1586–N] 

Medicare Program; First Semi-Annual 

Meeting of the Advisory Panel on 

Hospital Outpatient Payment (HOP— 

Formerly Known as the Advisory Panel 

on Ambulatory Payment Classification 

Groups—APC Panel)—February 27, 28, 

and 29, 2012 

AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & 

Medicaid Services (CMS), HHS. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: This notice announces the 

first semi-annual meeting of the 

Advisory Panel on Hospital Outpatient 

Payment (HOP), formerly known as the 

Advisory Panel on Ambulatory Payment 

Classification Groups (the APC Panel) 

for 2012. The purpose of the Panel is 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) on 

the clinical integrity of the APC groups 

and their associated weights, and 

hospital outpatient supervision issues. 

DATES: Meeting Date: The first semiannual meeting in 2012 is scheduled for 

the following dates and times: 

• Monday, February 27, 2012, 1 p.m. 

to 5 p.m. eastern standard time (e.s.t.) 1

• Tuesday, February 28, 2012, 9 a.m. 

to 5 p.m. (e.s.t.) 1

• Wednesday, February 29, 2012, 9 

a.m. to 5 p.m. (e.s.t.) 1

Note: 1The 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. 

Deadlines 

Deadline for Presentations and 

Comments (which includes both 

hardcopy and email submissions)—5 

p.m. (e.s.t.), Friday, December 30, 2011. 

(See below for submission instructions.) 

Deadline for Meeting Registration 

(Note: Those who do not pre register 

may not be able to attend the meeting 

since seating space is limited)—5 p.m. 

(e.s.t.), Friday, January 27, 2012. 

Deadline for Requests for Special 

Accommodations—5 p.m. (e.s.t.), 

Friday, January 27, 2012. 

Submission Instructions for 

Presentations and Comments 

Because of staffing and resource 

limitations, we cannot accept written 

comments and or presentations by FAX, 

nor can we print written comments and 

presentations received by email for 

dissemination at the meeting. 

Presentations: 

Presentations must be based on the 

scope of the Panel designated in the 

Charter. Any presentations outside of 

the scope of this Panel will be returned 

and or amendments requested. 

Unrelated topics include, but are not 

limited to, the conversion factor, charge 

compression, revisions to the cost 

report, pass-through payments, correct 

coding, new technology applications 

(including supporting information/ 

documentation), provider payment 

adjustments, and which types of 

practitioners are permitted to supervise 

hospital outpatient services. 

All presentations will be considered 

public information and will be posted 

on the CMS Web site. Presenters should 

not send pictures of patients in any of 

the documents (unless their faces have 

been blocked out) or include any 

examples with patient identifiable 

information. 

In order to consider presentation and/ 

or comment requests, we will need to 

receive the following information: 

1. A hardcopy of your presentation; 

only hardcopy comments and 

presentations can be reproduced for 

public dissemination. We note that all 

presentations are limited to 5 minutes 

per individual or organization. 

2. An email copy of your 

presentations sent to the Panel mailbox, 

APCPanel.cms.hhs.gov or to the DFO, 

Paula.Smith@cms.hhs.gov. 

3. Form CMS–20017 with complete 

contact information that includes name, 

address, phone, and email addresses for 

all presenters and a contact person that 

can answer any questions and or 

provide revisions that are requested for 

the presentation. 

Æ Presenters must clearly explain the 

actions that they are requesting CMS to 

take in the appropriate section of the 

form. A presenter’s relationship to the 

organization that they represent must 

also be clearly listed. 

Æ 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. 

ADDRESSES: Meeting Location: The 

meeting will be held in the Auditorium, 

CMS Central Office, 7500 Security 

Boulevard, Woodlawn, Maryland 

21244–1850. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

inquiries about the Panel, contact the 

Designated Federal Officier (DFO): 

Paula Smith, 7500 Security Boulevard, 

Mail Stop C4–05–17, Woodlawn, MD 

21244–1850. Phone: (410) 786–4709. 

Mail hardcopies and email copies to 

the following addresses: 

Paula Smith, DFO, CMS, CM, HAPC, 

DOC—HOPS Panel, 7500 Security 

Blvd., Woodlawn, MD 21244–1850, 

Mail Stop C4–05–17, Paula.Smith@

cms.hhs.gov or APCPanel@cms.hhs.

gov. 

Note: We recommend that you advise 

couriers of the following information: When 

delivering hardcopies of presentations to 

CMS, if no one answers at the above phone 

number, call (410) 786–4532 or (410) 786– 

7267. 

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: For additional information 

on the Panel and updates to the Panel’s 

activities, we are referring readers to 

view our Web site at the following: 

http://www.cms.hhs.gov/FACA/05_

AdvisoryPanelonAmbulatoryPayment

ClassificationGroups.asp#TopOfPage. 

(Use control + click the mouse in order 

to access the previous URL.) 

Note: There is an underscore after FACA/ 

05 (like this_); there is no space. 

You may also search information 

about the 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 of the Department of 

Health and Human Services (DHHS) 

(the Secretary) is required by section 

1833(t)(9)(A) of the Social Security Act 

(the Act) and section 222 of the Public 

Health Service Act (PHS Act) to consult 

with an expert outside advisory panel 

regarding the clinical integrity of the 

Ambulatory Payment Classification 

(APC) groups and relative payment 

weights. The Hospital Outpatient 

Payment (HOP) Panel (which was 

formerly known as the Advisory Panel 

on Ambulatory Payment Classification 

Groups) is governed by the provisions of 

the Federal Advisory Committee Act 

(FACA) (Pub. L. 92–463), as amended (5 

U.S.C. Appendix 2), which sets forth 

standards for the formation and use of 

advisory panels. 


jlentini on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
78282 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 242 / Friday, December 16, 2011 / Notices 

The Charter provides that the Panel 

shall meet up to 3 times annually. We 

consider the technical advice provided 

by the Panel as we prepare the proposed 

and final rules to update the outpatient 

prospective payment system (OPPS) for 

the next calendar year. 

II. Agenda 

The agenda for the February 2012 

meeting will provide for discussion and 

comment on the following topics as 

designated in the Panel’s Charter: 

• Addressing whether procedures 

within an APC group are similar both 

clinically and in terms of resource use. 

• Evaluating APC group weights. 

• Reviewing the packaging of OPPS 

services and costs, including the 

methodology and the impact on APC 

groups and payment. 

• Removing procedures from the 

inpatient list for payment under the 

OPPS. 

• Using single and multiple 

procedure claims data for CMS’ 

determination of APC group weights. 

• Addressing other technical issues 

concerning APC group structure. 

• Addressing supervision of 

outpatient services. 

The subject matter before the Panel 

will be limited to these and related 

topics. Unrelated topics include, but are 

not limited to, the conversion factor, 

charge compression, revisions to the 

cost report, pass-through payments, 

correct coding, new technology 

applications (including supporting 

information/documentation), provider 

payment adjustments, and which types 

of practitioners are permitted to 

supervise hospital outpatient services. 

The Panel may use data collected or 

developed by entities and organizations, 

other than the DHHS and CMS, in 

conducting its review. We recommend 

that organizations submit data for the 

Panel’s and CMS staff’s review. The 

Agenda will be posted on the CMS Web 

site before the meeting. 

III. Oral Comments 

In addition to formal oral 

presentations, which are limited to 5 

minutes per individual or organization, 

there will be opportunity during the 

meeting for public oral comments, 

which will be limited to 1 minute for 

each individual. 

IV. Meeting Attendance 

The meeting is open to the public; 

however, attendance is limited to space 

available. Priority will be given to those 

who pre-register and attendance may be 

limited based on the number of 

registrants and the space available. 

Persons wishing to attend this 

meeting, which is located on Federal 

property, must email the DFO as 

specified in the FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT section of the 

notice to register in advance no later 

than 5 p.m. (e.s.t.), January 27, 2012. A 

confirmation will be sent to the 

requester(s) by return email within 10 

days of the meeting. 

In the email request for registration, 

include the following information: 

• Name(s) of attendees. 

• Title(s). 

• Organization. 

• Office address, including city and 

State. 

• Email address(es). 

• Telephone number(s). 

V. Security, Building, and Parking 

Guidelines 

The following are the security, 

building, and parking guidelines: 

• Persons attending the meeting 

including presenters must be preregistered and on the attendance list by 

the prescribed date. 

• Individuals who are not preregistered in advance may not be 

permitted to enter the building and may 

be unable to attend the meeting. 

• Attendees must present photo 

identification (ID) to the Federal 

Protective Service or Guard Service 

personnel before entering the building. 

Without a current, valid photo ID, you 

may not be permitted entry to the 

building. 

• Security measures include 

inspection of vehicles, inside and out, at 

the entrance to the grounds. 

• All persons entering the building 

must pass through a metal detector. 

• All items brought into CMS, 

including personal items for example, 

laptops and cell phones, are subject to 

physical inspection. 

• The public may enter the building 

30 to 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. 

VI. 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.), Friday, January 27, 2012. 

VII. Panel Recommendations and 

Discussions 

The Panel’s recommendations at any 

Panel meeting generally are not final 

until they have been reviewed and 

approved by the Panel on the last day 

of the meeting, before the final 

adjournment. These recommendations 

are posted on the CMS Web site after the 

meeting. 

VIII. Collection of Information 

Requirements 

This document does not impose 

information collection and 

recordkeeping requirements. 

Consequently, it need not be reviewed 

by the Office of Management and 

Budget under the authority of the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 

U.S.C. 35). 

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance 

Program; No. 93.773 Medicare—Hospital 

Insurance Program; and No. 93.774, 

Medicare—Supplementary Medical 

Insurance Program) 

Dated: December 1, 2011. 

Donald M. Berwick, 

Administrator, Centers for Medicare & 

Medicaid Services. 

[FR Doc. 2011–32298 Filed 12–15–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4120–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Administration for Children and 

Families 

Proposed Information Collection 

Activity; Comment Request 

Proposed Projects 

Title: Child Care Quarterly Case 

Record Report—ACF–801. 

OMB No.: 0970–0167. 

Description: Section 658K of the Child 

Care and Development Block Grant Act 

of 1990 (Pub. L. 101–508, 42 U.S.C. 

9858) requires that States and 

Territories submit monthly case-level 

data on the children and families 

receiving direct services under the Child 

Care and Development Fund. The 

implementing regulations for the 

statutorily required reporting are at 45 

CFR 98.70. Case-level reports, submitted 

quarterly or monthly (at grantee option), 

include monthly sample or full 

population case-level data. The data 

elements to be included in these reports 

are represented in the ACF–801. ACF 

uses disaggregate data to determine 

program and participant characteristics 

as well as costs and levels of child care 

services provided. This provides ACF 

with the information necessary to make 

reports to Congress, address national 

child care needs, offer technical 

assistance to grantees, meet performance 

measures, and conduct research. 

Consistent with the statute and 

regulations, ACF requests extension of 


jlentini on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES