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[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 242 (Friday, December 16, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78281-78282]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-32298]

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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.

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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 semi-annual 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: \1\ The 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.
    [cir] 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.
    [cir] 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_AdvisoryPanelonAmbulatoryPaymentClassificationGroups.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.

[[Page 78282]]

    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 
pre-registered and on the attendance list by the prescribed date.
     Individuals who are not pre-registered 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
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