31366 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 102 / Friday, May 25, 2012 / Notices 

meet or exceed our requirements. 

Therefore, we approve URAC as a 

national accreditation organization with 

deeming authority for MA HMOs and 

PPOs, effective May 26, 2012 through 

May 25, 2018. 

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). 

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—Supplemental Medical Insurance 

Program) 

Dated: May 21, 2012. 

Marilyn Tavenner, 

Acting Administrator, Centers for Medicare 

& Medicaid Services. 

[FR Doc. 2012–12812 Filed 5–24–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4120–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 

Services 

[CMS–1595–N] 

Medicare Program; Semi-Annual 

Meeting of the Advisory Panel on 

Hospital Outpatient Payment (HOP 

Panel)—August 27, 28, and 29, 2012 

AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & 

Medicaid Services (CMS), HHS. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: This notice announces the 

second semi-annual meeting of the 

Advisory Panel on Hospital Outpatient 

Payment (HOP, the Panel), (the 

Ambulatory Payment Classification 

(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 therapeutic supervision 

issues. 

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

the following dates and times. Note: The 

times listed in this notice are Eastern 

Daylight Time (EDT) and are 

approximate times; consequently, the 

meetings may last longer than listed in 

this notice, but will not begin before the 

posted times: 

• Monday, August 27, 2012, 1 p.m. to 

5 p.m. EDT. 

• Tuesday, August 28, 2012, 9 a.m. to 

5 p.m. EDT. 

• Wednesday, August 29, 2012, 9 a.m. 

to 5 p.m. EDT. 

Deadlines 

Deadline for Presentations and 

Comments—5 p.m. EDT, Friday, July 27, 

2012. (See below for submission 

instructions for both hardcopy and 

electronic submissions.) 

Deadline for Meeting Registration—5 

p.m. EDT, Friday, August 17, 2012. 

(Note: Those who do not preregister may 

not be able to attend the meeting since 

seating space is limited). 

Deadline for Requests for Special 

Accommodations—5 p.m. EDT, Friday, 

August 17, 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, supervision of hospital 

outpatient diagnostic services and the 

types of practitioners that are permitted 

to supervise hospital outpatient 

services. The Panel may not recommend 

that services be designated as 

nonsurgical extended duration 

therapeutic services. 

All presentations will be considered 

public information and may be posted 

on the CMS web site and will be shared 

with the public. 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 Designated 

Federal Official’s (DFO) mailbox, 

Raymond.Bulls@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 that can 

answer any questions and or provide 

revisions that are requested for the 

presentation. 

Æ Presenters must clearly explain the 

action(s) 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 

DFO: Raymond Bulls, 7500 Security 

Boulevard, Mail Stop C4–03–12, 

Woodlawn, MD 21244–1850. Phone: 

(410) 786–7267. 

Mail hardcopies and email copies to 

the following addresses: Raymond 

Bulls, DFO, CMS, CM, HAPC, DOC— 

HOPS Panel, 7500 Security Blvd., 

Woodlawn, MD 21244–1850, Mail Stop 

C4–03–12, 

Raymond.Bulls@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 refer readers to view our 

Web site at the following: http:// 

www.cms.gov/Regulations-andGuidance/Guidance/FACA/ 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES

Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 102 / Friday, May 25, 2012 / Notices 31367 

AdvisoryPanelonAmbulatory

PaymentClassificationGroups.html. 

You may also search information 

about the Panel and its membership in 

the Federal Advisory Committee Act 

(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 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 

(Pub. L. 92–463), as amended (5 U.S.C. 

Appendix 2), to set forth standards for 

the formation and use of advisory 

panels. 

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). 

II. Agenda 

The agenda for the August 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. 

• Recommending the appropriate 

supervision level (general, direct, or 

personal) for individual hospital 

outpatient therapeutic 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, hospital 

outpatient supervision of diagnostic 

services and the types of practitioners 

who are permitted to supervise hospital 

outpatient services. 

The Panel may not recommend that 

services be designated as nonsurgical 

extended duration therapeutic 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 

organizations submit data for the Panel’s 

and CMS staff’s review. The Agenda 

will be posted on the CMS Web site 

prior to the meeting. 

III. Oral Comments 

In addition to formal oral 

presentations, which are limited to 5 

minutes per individual or organization, 

there will be an opportunity during the 

meeting for public oral comments, 

which will be limited to 1 minute for 

each individual and a total of 3 minutes 

per organization. 

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 to register 

in advance no later than 5 p.m. (EDT), 

August 17, 2012. A confirmation will be 

sent to the requester(s) by return email 

within 10 days of the meeting. 

In your email request for registration, 

include the following information: 

• Name(s) of attendee(s). 

• 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 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 valid photo 

identification to the Federal Protective 

Service or Guard Service personnel 

before entering the building. Without a 

current, valid photo ID, persons 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. 

(EDT), Friday, August 17, 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 

will be posted to our 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: May 16, 2012. 

Marilyn Tavenner, 

Acting Administrator, Centers for Medicare 

& Medicaid Services. 

[FR Doc. 2012–12630 Filed 5–24–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4120–01–P 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES