28040 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 93 / Friday, May 13, 2011 / Notices 

via the Federal eRulemaking portal by 

inputting ‘‘Information Collection 9000– 

0014’’ under the heading ‘‘Enter 

Keyword or ID’’ and selecting ‘‘Search’’. 

Select the link ‘‘Submit a Comment’’ that 

corresponds with ‘‘Information 

Collection 9000–0014’’. Follow the 

instructions provided at the ‘‘Submit a 

Comment’’ screen. Please include your 

name, company name (if any), and 

‘‘Information Collection 9000–0014’’ on 

your attached document. 

• Fax: 202–501–4067. 

• Mail: General Services 

Administration, Regulatory Secretariat 

(MVCB), 1275 First Street, NE., 

Washington, DC 20417. Attn: Hada 

Flowers/IC 9000–0014. 

Instructions: Please submit comments 

only and cite Information Collection 

9000–0014, in all correspondence 

related to this collection. All comments 

received will be posted without change 

to http://www.regulations.gov, including 

any personal and/or business 

confidential information provided. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. 

Clare McFadden, Procurement Analyst, 

Contract Policy Branch, GSA (202) 501– 

0044 or e-mail clare.mcfadden@gsa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

A. Purpose 

Standard Form 1413, Statement and 

Acknowledgment, is used by all 

executive agencies, including the 

Department of Defense, to obtain a 

statement from contractors that the 

proper clauses have been included in 

subcontracts. The form includes a 

signed contractor acknowledgment of 

the inclusion of those clauses in the 

subcontract. 

B. Annual Reporting Burden 

Respondents: 31,500. 

Responses per Respondent: 2. 

Total Responses: 63,000. 

Hours per Response: .05. 

Total Burden Hours: 3,150. 

Obtaining Copies of Proposals: 

Requesters may obtain a copy of the 

information collection documents from 

the General Services Administration, 

Regulatory Secretariat Branch (MVCB), 

1275 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 

20417, telephone (202) 501–4755. Please 

cite OMB Control No. 9000–0014, 

Statement and Acknowledgment 

(Standard Form 1413), in all 

correspondence. 

Dated: April 27, 2011. 

Millisa Gary, 

Acting Director, Office of Governmentwide 

Acquisition Policy. 

[FR Doc. 2011–11876 Filed 5–12–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6820–EP–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid 

Services 

[CMS–2375–PN] 

Medicare and Medicaid Programs; 

Application by the Joint Commission 

for Continued Deeming Authority for 

Critical Access Hospitals 

AGENCY: Centers for Medicare and 

Medicaid Services (CMS), HHS. 

ACTION: Proposed Notice. 

SUMMARY: This proposed notice with 

comment period acknowledges the 

receipt of an application from the Joint 

Commission for continued recognition 

as a national accrediting organization 

for critical access hospitals (CAHs) that 

wish to participate in the Medicare or 

Medicaid programs. Section 

1865(a)(3)(A) of the Social Security Act 

requires that within 60 days of receipt 

of an organization’s complete 

application, we publish a notice that 

identifies the national accrediting body 

making the request, describes the nature 

of the request, and provides at least a 

30-day public comment period. 

DATES: To be assured consideration, 

comments must be received at one of 

the addresses provided below, no later 

than 5 p.m. on June 13, 2011. 

ADDRESSES: In commenting, please refer 

to file code CMS–2375–PN. Because of 

staff and resource limitations, we cannot 

accept comments by facsimile (FAX) 

transmission. 

You may submit comments in one of 

four ways (no duplicates, please): 

1. Electronically. You may submit 

electronic comments on specific issues 

in this regulation to http:// 

www.cms.hhs.gov/eRulemaking. Click 

on the link ‘‘Submit electronic 

comments on CMS regulations with an 

open comment period.’’ (Attachments 

should be in Microsoft Word, 

WordPerfect, or Excel; however, we 

prefer Microsoft Word.) 

2. By regular mail. You may mail 

written comments (one original and two 

copies) to the following address ONLY: 

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 

Services, Department of Health and 

Human Services, Attention: CMS– 

2375–PN, P.O. Box 8016, Baltimore, 

MD 21244–8016. 

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 (one 

original and two copies) to the following 

address ONLY: Centers for Medicare & 

Medicaid Services, Department of 

Health and Human Services, Attention: 

CMS–2375–PN, Mail Stop C4–26–05, 

7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 

21244–1850. 

4. By hand or courier. If you prefer, 

you may deliver (by hand or courier) 

your written comments (one original 

and two copies) before the close of the 

comment period to one of the following 

addresses. If you intend to deliver your 

comments to the Baltimore address, 

please call telephone number (410) 786– 

9994 in advance to schedule your 

arrival with one of our staff members. 

Room 445–G, Hubert H. Humphrey 

Building, 200 Independence Avenue, 

SW., Washington, DC 20201; or 7500 

Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 

21244–1850. 

(Because access to the interior of the 

HHH 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.) 

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: 

L. Tyler Whitaker, (410) 786–5236. 

Patricia Chmielewski, (410) 786–6899. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Submitting Comments: We welcome 

comments from the public on all issues 

set forth in this proposed notice to assist 

us in fully considering issues and 

developing policies. You can assist us 

by referencing the file code CMS–2375– 

PN and the specific ‘‘issue identifier’’ 

that precedes the section on which you 

choose to comment. 

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.cms.hhs.gov/ 

eRulemaking. Click on the link 

‘‘Electronic Comments on CMS 

Regulations’’ on that Web site to view 

public comments. 

Comments received timely will also 

be available for public inspection as 

mstockstill on DSKH9S0YB1PROD with NOTICES

Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 93 / Friday, May 13, 2011 / Notices 28041 

they are received, generally beginning 

approximately 3 weeks after publication 

of a document, at the headquarters of 

the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 

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 

Under the Medicare program, eligible 

beneficiaries may receive covered 

services in a critical access hospital 

(CAH) provided certain requirements 

are met. Sections 1820(c)(2)(B) and 

1861(mm) of the Social Security Act 

(the Act) establish distinct criteria for 

facilities seeking designation as a CAH. 

Regulations concerning provider 

agreements are at 42 CFR part 489 and 

those pertaining to activities relating to 

the survey and certification of facilities 

are at 42 CFR part 488. The regulations 

at 42 CFR part 485, subpart F specify the 

conditions that a CAH must meet in 

order to participate in the Medicare 

program, and the scope of covered 

services. The conditions for Medicare 

payment for CAHs are set forth at 

§ 413.70. 

Generally, in order to enter into a 

provider agreement with the Medicare 

program, a CAH must first be certified 

by a State survey agency as complying 

with the conditions or requirements set 

forth in part 485, subpart F. Thereafter, 

the CAH is subject to regular surveys by 

a State survey agency to determine 

whether it continues to meet these 

requirements. There is an alternative, 

however, to surveys by State agencies. 

Section 1865(a)(1) of the Act provides 

that, if a provider entity demonstrates 

through accreditation by an approved 

national accrediting organization that all 

applicable Medicare conditions are met 

or exceeded, we will deem those 

provider entities as having met the 

requirements. Accreditation by an 

accrediting organization is voluntary 

and is not required for Medicare 

participation. 

If an accrediting organization is 

recognized by the Secretary as having 

standards for accreditation that meet or 

exceed Medicare requirements, any 

provider entity accredited by the 

national accrediting body’s approved 

program would be deemed to meet the 

Medicare conditions. A national 

accrediting organization applying for 

deeming authority under part 488, 

subpart A must provide us with 

reasonable assurance that the 

accrediting organization requires the 

accredited provider entities to meet 

requirements that are at least as 

stringent as the Medicare conditions. 

The regulations concerning the 

reapproval of accrediting organizations 

are set forth at § 488.4 and § 488.8(d)(3). 

The regulations at § 488.8(d)(3) require 

accrediting organizations to reapply for 

continued deeming authority every six 

years or sooner as determined by us. 

The Joint Commission’s term of 

approval as a recognized accreditation 

program for CAHs expires November 21, 

2011. 

II. Approval of Deeming Organizations 

Section 1865(a)(2) of the Act and our 

regulations at § 488.8(a) require that our 

findings concerning review and 

reapproval of a national accrediting 

organization’s requirements consider, 

among other factors, the applying 

accrediting organization’s: 

Requirements for accreditation; survey 

procedures; resources for conducting 

required surveys; capacity to furnish 

information for use in enforcement 

activities; monitoring procedures for 

provider entities found not in 

compliance with the conditions or 

requirements; and ability to provide us 

with the necessary data for validation. 

Section 1865(a)(3)(A) of the Act 

further requires that we publish, within 

60 days of receipt of an organization’s 

complete application, a notice 

identifying the national accrediting 

body making the request, describing the 

nature of the request, and providing at 

least a 30-day public comment period. 

We have 210 days from the receipt of a 

complete application to publish notice 

of approval or denial of the application. 

The purpose of this proposed notice 

is to inform the public of the Joint 

Commission’s request for continued 

deeming authority for CAHs. This notice 

also solicits public comment on whether 

the Joint Commission’s requirements 

meet or exceed the Medicare conditions 

for participation for CAHs. 

III. Evaluation of Deeming Authority 

Request 

The Joint Commission submitted all 

the necessary materials to enable us to 

make a determination concerning its 

request for reapproval as a deeming 

organization for CAHs. This application 

was determined to be complete April 1, 

2011. Under section 1865(a)(2) of the 

Act and our regulations at § 488.8 

(Federal review of accrediting 

organizations), our review and 

evaluation of the Joint Commission will 

be conducted in accordance with, but 

not necessarily limited to, the following 

factors: 

• The equivalency of the Joint 

Commission’s standards for a CAH as 

compared with CMS’ CAH conditions of 

participation. 

• The Joint Commission’s survey 

process to determine the following: 

++ The composition of the survey 

team, surveyor qualifications, and the 

ability of the organization to provide 

continuing surveyor training. 

++ The comparability of the Joint 

Commission’s processes to those of 

State agencies, including survey 

frequency, and the ability to investigate 

and respond appropriately to 

complaints against accredited facilities. 

++ The Joint Commission’s processes 

and procedures for monitoring CAHs 

found out of compliance with the Joint 

Commission’s program requirements. 

These monitoring procedures are used 

only when the Joint Commission 

identifies noncompliance. If 

noncompliance is identified through 

validation reviews, the State survey 

agency monitors corrections as specified 

at § 488.7(d). 

++ The Joint Commission’s capacity 

to report deficiencies to the surveyed 

facilities and respond to the facility’s 

plan of correction in a timely manner. 

++ The Joint Commission’s capacity 

to provide us with electronic data and 

reports necessary for effective validation 

and assessment of the organization’s 

survey process. 

++ The adequacy of the Joint 

Commission’s staff and other resources, 

and its financial viability. 

++ The Joint Commission’s capacity 

to adequately fund required surveys. 

++ The Joint Commission’s policies 

with respect to whether surveys are 

announced or unannounced, to assure 

that surveys are unannounced. 

++ The Joint Commission’s 

agreement to provide us with a copy of 

the most current accreditation survey 

together with any other information 

related to the survey as we may require 

(including corrective action plans). 

IV. Response to Public Comments and 

Notice Upon Completion of Evaluation 

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. 

Upon completion of our evaluation, 

including evaluation of comments 

received as a result of this notice, we 

will publish a final notice in the Federal 

Register announcing the result of our 

evaluation. 

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28042 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 93 / Friday, May 13, 2011 / Notices 

V. 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). 

VI. Regulatory Impact Statement 

In accordance with the provisions of 

Executive Order 12866, the Office of 

Management and Budget did not review 

this proposed notice. 

In accordance with Executive Order 

13132, we have determined that this 

proposed notice would not have a 

significant effect on the rights of States, 

local or tribal governments. 

Authority: Section 1865 of the Social 

Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395bb). 

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance 

Program No. 93.778, Medical Assistance 

Program; No. 93.773 Medicare—Hospital 

Insurance Program; and No. 93.774, 

Medicare—Supplementary Medical 

Insurance Program) 

Dated: May 4, 2011. 

Donald M. Berwick, 

Administrator, Centers for Medicare & 

Medicaid Services. 

[FR Doc. 2011–11705 Filed 5–12–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4120–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 

Services 

[CMS–7031–NC2] 

Announcement of Notice; Proposed 

Establishment of a Federally Funded 

Research and Development Center— 

Second Notice 

AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & 

Medicaid Services (CMS), Department 

of Health & Human Services (DHHS). 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: This notice announces our 

intention to sponsor a Federally Funded 

Research and Development Center 

(FFRDC) to facilitate the modernization 

of business processes and supporting 

systems and their operations. This is the 

second of three notices which must be 

published over a 90-day period in order 

to advise the public of the agency’s 

intention to sponsor an FFRDC. 

DATES: We must receive comments on or 

before July 5, 2011. 

ADDRESSES: Comments on this notice 

must be mailed to the Centers for 

Medicare & Medicaid Services, Candice 

Savoy, Contracting Officer, 7500 

Security Boulevard, Mailstop C2–01–10, 

Baltimore, MD 21244 or e-mail at 

Candice.Savoy@cms.hhs.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Candice Savoy, (410) 786–7494 or 

Candice.Savoy@cms.hhs.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 

Services (CMS), an operating division 

within the Department of Health and 

Human Services (DHHS), intends to 

sponsor a study and analysis, delivery 

system, simulations, and cost modeling 

Federally Funded Research and 

Development Center (FFRDC) to 

facilitate the modernization of business 

processes and supporting systems and 

their operations. Some of the broad task 

areas that will be utilized include 

strategic/tactical planning, conceptual 

planning, design and engineering, 

procurement assistance, organizational 

planning, research and development, 

continuous process improvement, 

IV&V/compliance, and security 

planning. Further analysis will consist 

of expert advice and guidance in the 

areas of program and project 

management focused on increasing the 

effectiveness and efficiency of strategic 

information management, prototyping, 

demonstrations, and technical activities. 

The FFRDC may also be utilized by nonsponsors, within DHHS. 

The FFRDC will be established under 

the authority of 48 CFR 35.017. 

The contractor will be available to 

provide a wide range of support 

including, but not limited to: 

• Strategic/tactical planning 

including assisting with planning for 

future CMS program policy, innovation, 

development, and support for Medicare 

and Medicaid. 

• Conceptual planning including 

operations, analysis, requirements, 

procedures, and analytic support. 

• Design and engineering including 

technical architecture direction. 

• Procurement assistance, review/ 

recommendations for current contract 

processes to include, contract reform, 

technical guidance, price and cost 

estimating, support and source selection 

evaluation support. 

• Organizational planning including 

functional and gap analysis. 

• Research and development, 

assessment of new technologies and 

advice on medical and technical 

innovation and health information. 

• Continuous process improvement, 

ILC/current practices review and 

recommendations, implementation of 

best practices and code reviews. 

• IV&V/Compliance, DUA 

surveillance and Web site content 

review. 

• Security including Security 

Assessments and Security Test and 

Evaluations (ST&E). Identify, define, 

and resolve problems as an integral part 

of the sponsor’s management team. 

• Providing independent analysis 

about DHHS vulnerabilities and the 

effectiveness of systems deployed to 

make DHHS more effective in providing 

healthcare services and implementation 

of new healthcare initiatives. 

• Providing intra-departmental and 

inter-agency cross-cutting, risk-informed 

analysis of alternative resource 

approaches. 

• Developing and deploying 

analytical tools and techniques to 

evaluate system alternatives (for 

example, policy-operations-technology 

tradeoffs), and life-cycle costs that have 

broad application across CMS. 

• Developing measurable 

performance metrics, models, and 

simulations for determining progress in 

securing DHHS data or other authorized 

data sources, (non-DHHS data sources, 

such as the census data or Department 

of Labor data, Veterans Administration, 

Department of Defense, data in 

developing performance metrics, and 

models). 

• Providing independent and 

objective operational test and evaluation 

analysis support. 

• Developing recommendations for 

guidance on the best practices for 

standards, particularly to improve the 

inter-operability of DHHS components. 

• Assessing technologies and 

evaluating technology test-beds for 

accurate simulation of operational 

conditions and delivery system 

innovation models. 

• Supporting critical thinking about 

the DHHS enterprise, business 

intelligence and analytic tools that can 

be applied consistently across DHHS 

and CMS programs. 

• Supporting systems integration, 

data management, and data exchange 

that contribute to a larger DHHS intraand inter-agency enterprise as well as 

collaboration with State, local tribal 

governments, the business sector (forprofit and not-for-profit), academia and 

the public. 

• Providing recommendations for 

standards for top-level DHHS systems 

requirements and performance metrics 

best practices for an integrated DHHS 

approach to systems solutions and 

structured and unstructured data 

architecture. 

• Understanding key DHHS 

organizations and their specific role and 

major acquisition requirements and 

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