Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 83 / Friday, April 28, 2000 / Notices 24971

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

SUMMARY: In accordance with section

10(a) of the Federal Advisory Committee

Act, this notice announces a meeting of

the Competitive Pricing Advisory

Committee (the CPAC) on May 23, 2000.

The Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (BBA)

requires the Secretary of the Department

of Health and Human Services (the

Secretary) to establish a demonstration

project under which payments to

Medicare+Choice organizations in

designated areas are determined in

accordance with a competitive pricing

methodology. The BBA requires the

Secretary to create the CPAC to make

recommendations on demonstration

area designation and appropriate

research designs for the project. The

CPAC meetings are open to the public.

DATES: The meeting is scheduled for

May 23, 2000, from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.,

e.d.s.t.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at

the Double Tree Hotel Park Terrace,

1515 Rhode Island Avenue, NW.,

Washington, D.C. 20005.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Sharon Arnold, Ph.D., Executive

Director, Competitive Pricing Advisory

Committee, Health Care Financing

Administration, 7500 Security

Boulevard C4–14–17, Baltimore,

Maryland 21244–1850, (410) 786–6451.

Please refer to the HCFA Advisory

Committees Information Line (1–877–

449–5659 toll free)/(410–786–9379

local) or the Internet (http://www/

hcfa.gov/fac) for additional information

and updates on committee activities.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Section 4011 of the Balanced Budget

Act of 1997 (BBA), Public Law 105–33,

requires the Secretary of the Department

of Health and Human Services (the

Secretary) to establish a demonstration

project under which payments to

Medicare+Choice organizations in

designated areas are determined in

accordance with a competitive pricing

methodology. Section 4012(a) of the

BBA requires the Secretary to appoint a

Competitive Pricing Advisory

Committee (the CPAC) to meet

periodically and make

recommendations to the Secretary

concerning the designation of areas for

inclusion in the project and appropriate

research design for implementing the

project. The CPAC has previously met

on May 7, 1998, June 24 and 25, 1998,

September 23 and 24, 1998, October 28,

1998, January 6, 1999, May 13, 1999,

July 22, 1999, September 16, 1999,

October 29, 1999, and January 12, 2000.

The CPAC consists of 15 individuals

who are independent actuaries; experts

in competitive pricing and the

administration of the Federal Employees

Health Benefit Program; and

representatives of health plans, insurers,

employers, unions, and beneficiaries.

The CPAC members are: James Cubbin,

Executive Director, General Motors

Health Care Initiative; Robert Berenson,

M.D., Director, Center for Health Plans

and Providers, HCFA; John Bertko,

Actuary Principal, Humana Inc.; David

Durenberger, Vice President, Public

Policy Partners; Gary Goldstein, M.D.,

Healthcare Consultant; Samuel Havens,

Healthcare Consultant; Margaret Jordan,

Executive Vice President, Texas Health

Resources; Chip Kahn, President, The

Health Insurance Association of

America; Cleve Killingsworth, President

and CEO, Health Alliance Plan; Nancy

Kichak, Director, Office of Actuaries,

Office of Personnel Management; Len

Nichols, Principal Research Associate,

The Urban Institute; Robert Reischauer,

President, The Urban Institute; John

Rother, Director, Legislation and Public

Policy, American Association of Retired

Persons; Andrew Stern, President,

Service Employees International Union,

AFL–CIO; and Jay Wolfson, Director,

The Florida Information Center,

University of South Florida. The

Chairperson is James Cubbin and the

Co-Chairperson is Robert Berenson,

M.D. In accordance with section

4012(a)(5) of the BBA, the CPAC will

terminate on December 31, 2004.

The agenda for the May 23, 2000,

meeting will include a discussion of the

components of a Report to Congress

being prepared by the CPAC. Section

533 of the Medicare, Medicaid, and

State Child Health Insurance Program

(SCHIP) Balanced Budget Refinement

Act of 1999, Public Law 106–113,

revised section 4011 of the BBA to

require the CPAC to submit a report on

the following topics:

• Incorporation of original Medicare

fee-for-service into the demonstration.

• Requirements of quality activities

under the demonstration.

• Inclusion of a rural area in the

demonstration.

sbull Requirements of a benefit

structure under the demonstration.

Individuals or organizations that wish

to make 5-minute oral presentations on

the agenda issues should contact the

Executive Director, by 12 noon, May 18,

2000, to be scheduled. The number of

oral presentations may be limited by the

time available. A written copy of the

oral remarks should be submitted to the

Executive Director, no later than 12

noon, May 22, 2000. Anyone who is not

scheduled to speak, may submit written

comments to the Executive Director, by

12 noon, May 22, 2000.

The meeting is open to the public, but

attendance is limited to the space

available. Individuals requiring sign

language interpretation for the hearing

impaired or other special

accommodation should contact the

Executive Director at least 10 days

before the meeting.

(Section 4012 of the Balanced Budget Act of

1997, Public Law 105–33 (42 U.S.C.1395w–

23 note) and section 10(a) of Public Law 92–

463 (5 U.S.C. App. 2, section 10(a))

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

Program No. 93.773, Medicare—Hospital

Insurance; and Program No. 93.774,

Medicare—Supplementary Medical

Insurance Program)

Dated: April 18, 2000.

Nancy-Ann Min DeParle,

Administrator, Health Care Financing

Administration.

[FR Doc. 00–10555 Filed 4–27–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4120–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND

HUMAN SERVICES

Health Care Financing Administration

[HCFA–3053–N]

Medicare Program; Open Town Hall

Meeting To Promote and Establish

Partnerships Between the Medicare

Peer Review Organizations (PROs) and

Entities in the Health Care Community

To Foster Health Care Quality

Improvement—May 15, 2000

AGENCY: Health Care Financing

Administration (HCFA), DHHS.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

SUMMARY: This notice announces the

second in a series of Partnership Open

Town Hall Meetings for the purpose of

exploring and exercising opportunities

for the entire health care community to

collaborate with the PROs on quality

improvement projects that will raise the

quality of care provided to Medicare

beneficiaries and to all patients. The

primary focus of the quality

improvement partnerships will be six

national clinical topics, including acute

myocardial infarction, breast cancer,

diabetes, heart failure, pneumonia, and

stroke. We view this meeting as an

opportunity to develop partnerships

with the provider, practitioner, plan,

purchaser and beneficiary communities.

The meeting is open to the public, but

attendance is limited to space available.

DATES The meeting: The meeting will be

held on Monday, May 15, 2000, from

9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., EDT.

24972 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 83 / Friday, April 28, 2000 / Notices

Written Questions or Statements: We

will accept written questions or other

statements, not to exceed two (2) singlespaced, typed pages, preferably before

the meeting, but until May 30, 2000.

ADDRESSES:

The Meeting: The meeting will be

held at the Doubletree Hotel Pentagon

City National Airport, 300 Army Navy

Drive, Arlington, Virginia 22202. The

hotel phone number is (703) 416–4100.

Written Questions or Statements:

Send written questions or other

statements to: Eugene Freund, MD,

Clinical Advisor, Quality Improvement

Group, Office of Clinical Standards and

Quality, Health Care Financing

Administration, S3–02–01, 7500

Security Boulevard, Baltimore,

Maryland 21244–1850.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Monica L. Jackson, JW Associates, LLC;

phone: (301) 495–9471; fax: (301) 495–

5989; email: mjackson@jwallc.com.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Provisions of This Notice

We are announcing the second in a

series of Town Hall Meetings to provide

a forum for health care entities and

organizations (including practitioners,

providers, health plans, other

purchasers, beneficiaries and other

interested parties) to partner on health

care quality improvement projects

relating to the activities of the PRO

Sixth Round Contract, (also known as

the PRO sixth Scope of Work, or 6th

SOW). The meeting is open to the

public, but attendance is limited to

space available. Individuals must

register in advance as described in

section II of this notice.

The meeting will address partnering

on quality improvement projects in both

managed care and fee-for-service

settings. The meeting will present

models of existing partnerships

involving the following entities:

—PROs, clinicians, and hospitals.

—PROs and business coalitions.

—Associations and communities.

—HCFA and accrediting bodies.

Additionally, we are very interested

in receiving suggestions for additional

approaches to collaborating with

stakeholders sharing one or more of our

quality improvement goals. There will

be ample time allotted at the meeting for

questions and suggestions.

We will also address concerns and

issues regarding how partnering with

the PROs can achieve quality

improvements for Medicare

beneficiaries as well as improved billing

and payment accuracy. This second

Town Hall Meeting will also provide an

opportunity for further information

exchange concerning the Health Care

Quality Improvement Program (HCQIP)

activities delineated in the PRO Sixth

Round Contract under the clinical

topics described as Tasks 1, 2 and 3.

Task 1 concerns National Quality

Improvement Projects which focus on

national health improvement clinical

topics (for example, Acute Myocardial

Infarction, Breast Cancer, Diabetes,

Heart Failure, Pneumonia, and Stroke/

Transient Ischemic Attack/Atrial

Fibrillation). The PROs, in conjunction

with their partners, will use

standardized sets of quality indicators to

identify the greatest opportunities to

improve the care of Medicare

beneficiaries in these clinical topic

areas.

Task 2, Local Quality Improvement

Projects, directs each PRO to initiate

local projects within its State, in

response to local interests, needs and

opportunities. We are interested in

increasing the PROs’ experience in

collaborating with providers,

practitioners, plans, purchasers and

beneficiaries to improve the quality of

care they deliver. We are also interested

in testing quality indicators and

intervention strategies that reflect care

in settings other than acute care

hospitals and Medicare+Choice plans,

as well as those that contribute to

reducing the disparities in the quality of

care delivered to members of

disadvantaged groups.

Task 3 concerns Quality Improvement

Projects in conjunction with

Medicare+Choice (M+C) Plans. This

task requires each PRO to offer its

assistance to M+C Plans to implement

quality improvement projects as part of

the Quality Improvement System for

Managed Care (QISMC) standards. Each

M+C Plan must initiate two

performance improvement projects

annually.

Task 4, which is not on the agenda for

this meeting, concerns the Payment

Error Prevention Program (PEPP). It is a

modified review activity that is

intended to identify opportunities for

improvement in the billing process to

reduce the occurrence of incorrect

payments resulting from billing errors. It

is a cooperative program and includes

no punitive actions. Errors may include

both over billings and under billings.

The error rate will be the total dollars

paid, both above and below the correct

amount. In the first year of the PROs 6th

Round Contract, the PROs will conduct

PEPP in two areas: unnecessary

admissions and miscoded DRG

assignments.

II. Registration and Rooms

JW Associates, LLC, is registering

interested parties for the meeting. You

may register by sending a fax to the For

Further Information Contact.

Registration forms may also be found on

the Internet at www.jwallc.com. Please

include your name, affiliation, address,

telephone number, e-mail and fax

number on your registration form. A

number of rooms have been set aside for

meeting attendees. To reserve a room,

please contact the hotel directly.

III. Meeting Materials

All meeting materials will be

provided at the time of the meeting. A

summary of the initial July 1999

Partnership Town Hall Meeting can be

found at the following website:

www.hcfa.gov/quality/qlty-5b.htm.

Authority: Section 1102 of the Social

Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1302).

Dated: April 25, 2000.

Nancy-Ann Min DeParle,

Administrator, Health Care Financing

Administration.

[FR Doc. 00–10710 Filed 4–27–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4120–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND

HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services

Administration

Agency Information Collection

Activities: Submission for OMB

Review; Comment Request

Periodically, the Health Resources

and Services Administration (HRSA)

publishes abstracts of information

collection requests under review by the

Office of Management and Budget, in

compliance with the Paperwork

Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C.

Chapter 35). To request a copy of the

clearance requests submitted to OMB for

review, call the HRSA Reports

Clearance Office on (301) 443–1129.

The following request has been

submitted to the Office of Management

and Budget for review under the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995:

Proposed Project: The Ryan White

CARE Act Client Demonstration Project

Reporting System: NEW The Client

Demonstration Project was established

in 1994 to collect information from

several Title I and Title II grantees and

their subcontracted service providers

about their individual clients.

Demographic information, service

utilization, and health indicators of all

clients receiving services at providers

funded by the Ryan White

Comprehensive AIDS Resources