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[Federal Register: August 20, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 161)]
[Notices]               
[Page 51465-51466]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr20au10-51]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

[CMS-1572-N]

 
Medicare Program; Announcement of Five New Members to the 
Advisory Panel on Ambulatory Payment Classification Groups

AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces five new members selected to serve on 
the Advisory Panel on Ambulatory Payment Classification (APC) Groups 
(the Panel). The purpose of the Panel is to review the APC groups and 
their associated weights and to advise the Secretary of Department of 
Health and Human Services (the Secretary) and the Administrator of 
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services concerning the clinical 
integrity of the APC groups and their associated weights. We will 
consider the Panel's advice as we prepare the annual updates of the 
hospital outpatient prospective payment system (OPPS).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For inquiries about the Panel, contact 
the Designated Federal Official (DFO): Shirl Ackerman-Ross, (410) 786-
4474.
    APC Panel E-Mail Address: The E-mail address for the Panel is as 
follows: CMS APCPanel@cms.hhs.gov (Note: There is no underscore in this 
e-mail address; there is a space between CMS and APCPanel.)
    News Media Contact: News media representatives must contact our 
Public Affairs Office at (202) 690-6145.
    CMS Advisory Committees Hotlines: The CMS Federal Advisory 
Committee Hotline is 1-877-449-5659 (toll free) and (410) 786-9379 
(local) for additional Panel information.
    Web Sites: For additional information regarding the APC Panel 
membership, meetings, agendas, and updates to the Panel's activities, 
search our Web site at the following Uniform Resource Locator (URL): 
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/FACA/05_AdvisoryPanelonAmbulatoryPaymentClassificationGroups.asp#TopOfPage. 
(Note: There is an underscore after FACA/05 (like this--); there is no 
space.)
    The public may also access the following URL for the Federal 
Advisory Committee Act Web site to obtain APC Panel information: 
https://www.fido.gov/facadatabase/public.asp. A copy of the Panel's 
Charter and other pertinent information are on both Web sites mentioned 
above. You may also e-mail the Panel DFO at the above e-mail address 
for a copy of the Charter.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    The Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (the 
Secretary) is required by section 1833(t)(9)(A) of the Social Security 
Act (the Act) to consult with an expert outside advisory Panel 
regarding the clinical integrity of the Ambulatory Payment 
Classification (APC) groups and relative payment weights that are

[[Page 51466]]

components of the Medicare hospital outpatient prospective payment 
system (OPPS).
    The APC Panel meets up to three times annually. The Charter 
requires that the Panel must be fairly balanced in its membership in 
terms of the points of view represented and the functions to be 
performed. The Panel consists of up to 15 members, who are 
representatives of providers, and a Chair. Each Panel member must be 
employed full-time by a hospital, hospital system, or other Medicare 
provider subject to payment under the OPPS. The Secretary or the 
Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (the 
Administrator) selects the Panel membership based upon either self-
nominations or nominations submitted by Medicare providers and other 
interested organizations. All members must have technical expertise to 
enable them to participate fully in the work of the Panel. This 
expertise encompasses hospital payment systems; hospital medical-care 
delivery systems; provider billing systems; APC groups, Current 
Procedural Terminology codes, and alpha-numeric Healthcare Common 
Procedure Coding System codes; and the use of, and payment for, drugs 
and medical devices in the outpatient setting, as well as other forms 
of relevant expertise.
    The Charter requires that all members have a minimum of 5 years 
experience in their area(s) of expertise, but it is not necessary that 
any member be an expert in all of the areas listed above. For purposes 
of this Panel, consultants and independent contractors are not 
considered as representatives of providers. A Panel member may serve up 
to a 4-year term. A member may serve after the expiration of his or her 
term until a successor has been sworn in. All terms are contingent upon 
the renewal of the Panel by appropriate action before its termination. 
The Secretary re-chartered the APC Panel effective November 21, 2008.

II. Announcement of New Members

    The Panel may consist of a Chair and up to 15 Panel members who 
serve without compensation, according to an advance written agreement. 
Travel, meals, lodging, and related expenses for the meeting are 
reimbursed in accordance with standard Government travel regulations. 
We have a special interest in ensuring that women, minorities, 
representatives from various geographical locations, and the physically 
challenged are adequately represented on the Panel.
    The Secretary, or her designee, appoints new members to the Panel 
from among those candidates determined to have the required expertise. 
New appointments are made in a manner that ensures a balanced 
membership.
    The Panel presently consists of the following 15 members and a 
Chair: (The asterisk [*] indicates a Panel member whose term expires on 
September 30, 2010.)
     Edith Hambrick, M.D., J.D., Chair
     Ruth L. Bush, M.D., M.P.H.
     Dawn L. Francis, M.D., M.H.S.
     Kathleen M. Graham, R.N., M.S.H.A., C.P.H.Q.
     Patrick Grusenmeyer, Sc.D., M.P.A., F.A.C.H.
     David Halsey, M.D.
     Judith T. Kelly, B.S.H.A., R.H.I.T., R.H.I.A., C.C.S.
     Michael D. Mills, Ph.D., M.S.P.H.*
     Agatha L. Nolen, D.Ph., M.S., F.A.S.H.P.
     Randall A. Oyer, M.S.
     Beverly Khnie Philip, M.D.*
     Daniel Pothen, M.S., R.H.I.A., CPHIMS, CCS, CCS-P, CHC
     Gregory J. Przybylski, M.D.
     Russ Ranallo, M.S.*
     Michael A. Ross, M.D., F.A.C.E.P.*
     Patricia Spencer-Cisek, M.S., A.P.R.N.-BC, 
A.O.C.N.[supreg]*
    On March 26, 2010, we published a notice in the Federal Register 
entitled ``Medicare Program; Request for Nominations to the Advisory 
Panel on Ambulatory Payment Classification Groups'' (CMS-1570-N) 
requesting nominations to the Panel replacing Panel members whose terms 
would expire on September 30, 2010. As a result of that Federal 
Register notice, we are announcing five new members to the Panel. All 
five appointments are for 4-year terms commencing on October 1, 2010, 
as indicated below:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
       New panel members                          Terms
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Kari S. Cornicelli,     10/1/2010 through 9/30/2014.
 C.P.A., FHFMA.
 Brian D. Kavanagh,      10/1/2010 through 9/30/2014.
 M.D., M.P.H.
 Scott Manaker, M.D.,    10/1/2010 through 9/30/2014.
 PhD.
 John Marshall, C.R.A.,  10/1/2010 through 9/30/2014.
 R.C.C., RT [supreg].
 Neville B. Sarkari,     10/1/2010 through 9/30/2014.
 M.D., FACP.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (Note: Dr. Kavanagh replaces Dr. Mills; Dr. Manaker replaces Dr. 
Philip; Dr. Sarkari replaces Dr. Ross; Ms. Cornicelli replaces Mr. 
Ranallo; and Mr. Marshall replaces Ms. Spencer-Cisek. They will all 
take the Oaths of Office at the winter 2011 APC Panel meeting. 
Therefore, the current APC Panel members are all invited to attend the 
2010 late summer meeting since the new members' terms do not begin 
until October 1, 2010.)

III. 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.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program No. 93.773, 
Medicare--Hospital Insurance; and Program No. 93.774, Medicare--
Supplementary Medical Insurance Program)

    Dated: August 11, 2010.
Donald M. Berwick,
Administrator, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
[FR Doc. 2010-20306 Filed 8-19-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-01-P
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