38066 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 123 / Tuesday, June 26, 2012 / Notices 

focus groups with 9 respondents each to 

identify potential messaging frames for 

communicating information about 

congenital CMV to the target audiences 

and adopting CMV preventive 

guidelines. We will also conduct some 

preliminary testing of existing CDC 

CMV draft materials (factsheet and 

video). We estimate that we will screen 

144 women in order to recruit 72 

participants for the focus groups. These 

focus groups will be conducted in 

Atlanta, Georgia (4) and San Diego, 

California (4). Findings from the Phase 

I focus groups will inform refinements 

to existing CDC messages and materials 

(factsheet and video), which will be 

further tested in the second information 

collection activity, the web survey. 

Phase II research will include an online 

survey to test the refined 

communication interventions (factsheet 

and video). This web survey will: (1) 

Examine baseline awareness and 

knowledge regarding CMV, (2) assess 

baseline CMV prevention behaviors 

prior to viewing CMV communication 

interventions (factsheet and video), (3) 

assess appeal and evaluate the impact of 

CMV communication interventions on 

their attitudes, beliefs, and behavioral 

intentions regarding prevention 

behaviors and (4) assess knowledge, 

attitudes and behaviors pre- and postinterventions with a larger target 

audience sample (N=800). We estimate 

that we will screen 4,800 women in 

order to recruit 800 respondents for the 

online survey. 

This request is submitted to obtain 

OMB clearance for two years. There are 

no costs to the respondents other than 

their time. 

ESTIMATED ANNUALIZED BURDEN HOURS

Type of respondent Form name Number of 

respondents 

Number of responses per 

respondent 

Average 

burden per 

response 

(in hours) 

Total burden 

hours 

Phase I: Focus Groups 

Women of childbearing age .................................. Participant screener ..... 144 1 5/60 12 

Demographic questionnaire.72 1 15/60 18 

Informed consent form 72 1 15/60 18 

Focus group ................. 72 1 90/60 108 

Phase II: Web Survey 

Women of childbearing age .................................. Participant per screener 4,800 1 3/60 240 

Web Survey .................. 800 1 11/60 147 

Dated: June 18, 2012. 

Ron A. Otten, 

Director, Office of Scientific Integrity (OSI), 

Office of the Associate Director for Science 

(OADS), Office of the Director, Centers for 

Disease Control and Prevention. 

[FR Doc. 2012–15574 Filed 6–25–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4163–18–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 

Services 

[CMS–5505–N3] 

Medicare Program; Announcement of a 

New Opportunity for Participation in 

the Advance Payment Model for 

Accountable Care Organizations 

(ACOs) 

AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & 

Medicaid Services (CMS), HHS. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: This notice announces a new 

opportunity for participation in the 

Advance Payment Model for certain 

accountable care organizations 

participating in the Medicare Shared 

Savings Program scheduled to begin in 

January 2013. 

DATES: Application Submission 

Deadline for the Advance Payment 

Model: Applications for the 

performance period beginning on 

January 1, 2013 will be accepted from 

August 1, 2012 through September 19, 

2012. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Maria Alexander, (410) 786–4792. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background 

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 

Services (CMS) is committed to 

achieving better health for populations, 

better health care for individuals, and 

lower growth in expenditures through 

continuous improvement for Medicare, 

Medicaid, and Children’s Health 

Insurance Program beneficiaries. One 

potential mechanism for achieving these 

goals is for CMS to partner with groups 

of health care providers of services and 

suppliers that have a mechanism for 

shared governance and have formed an 

Accountable Care Organization (ACO) 

through which they work together to 

coordinate care for a specified group of 

patients. We will pursue such 

partnerships through complementary 

efforts, including the Medicare Shared 

Savings Program and initiatives 

undertaken by the Center for Medicare 

and Medicaid Innovation (Innovation 

Center). 

The Advance Payment Model is an 

Innovation Center initiative designed for 

participants in the Medicare Shared 

Savings Program in need of prepayment 

of expected shared savings to build their 

capacity to provide high quality, 

coordinated care and generate cost 

savings. The Advance Payment Model 

will test whether and how prepaying a 

portion of future shared savings could 

increase participation in the Medicare 

Shared Savings Program, and whether 

advance payments will enhance the 

ability of ACOs to effectively coordinate 

care and generate Medicare savings, as 

well as the speed at which they attain 

that goal. 

In the November 2, 2011 Federal 

Register (76 FR 68012), we published a 

notice entitled ‘‘Medicare Program; 

Advance Payment Model’’ that 

announced the testing of the Advance 

Payment Model for certain ACOs 

participating in the Medicare Shared 

Savings Program scheduled to begin in 

2012 and provided information about 

the Advance Payment Model and the 

application process. In November 30, 

2011 Federal Register (76 FR 74067), we 

published a second notice that extended 

the application deadline for the first 


rmajette on DSK2TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 123 / Tuesday, June 26, 2012 / Notices 38067 

performance period that began on April 

1, 2012. We announced the 

organizations participating in the 

Advanced Payment Model for the first 

performance period (which began on 

April 1, 2012) on April 10, 2012. The 

second performance period of the 

Advance Payment Model will begin on 

July 1, 2012. 

Additional information about the 

Advance Payment Model, including 

organizations currently participating in 

the testing of the Model, is available on 

the Advance Payment Model Web site at 

http://www.innovations.cms.gov/ 

initiatives/ACO/Advance-Payment/. 

II. Provisions of the Notice 

We will be launching a third group of 

Advance Payment Model ACOs on 

January 1, 2013. We will accept 

applications as specified in the DATES

section of this notice. We are creating 

this new opportunity in response to 

requests from stakeholders and potential 

partners who requested additional 

opportunities to partner with CMS as 

Advance Payment ACOs. 

Organizations interested in applying 

to the Advance Payment Model must 

also complete an application for the 

Shared Savings Program. Information 

about the application process and 

deadlines for the Shared Savings 

Program is available at http:// 

www.cms.gov/sharedsavingsprogram. 

Additional information about the 

application process for the Advance 

Payment Model is available on the 

Advance Payment Model Web site at 

http://www.innovations.cms.gov/ 

initiatives/ACO/Advance-Payment/. 

Authority: Section 1115A of the Social 

Security Act. 

Dated: June 19, 2012. 

Marilyn Tavenner, 

Acting Administrator, Centers for Medicare 

& Medicaid Services. 

[FR Doc. 2012–15541 Filed 6–22–12; 11:15 am] 

BILLING CODE 4120–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 

Services 

[CMS–1445–N] 

Medicare Program; Public Meeting 

Regarding Inherent Reasonableness of 

Medicare Fee Schedule Amounts for 

Non-Mail Order (Retail) Diabetic 

Testing Supplies 

ACTION: Notice of meeting. 

SUMMARY: This notice announces a 

public meeting that provides an 

opportunity for CMS to consult with 

representatives of suppliers and other 

interested parties regarding options to 

adjust the Medicare payment amounts 

for non-mail order diabetic testing 

supplies. This meeting will provide the 

public an opportunity to offer oral and 

written comments. 

DATES: Meeting Date: The public 

meeting will be held on Monday, July 

23, 2012, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. eastern 

daylight time (e.d.t.). 

Deadline for Attendees that are 

Foreign Nationals (reside outside the 

U.S.) Registration: Prospective attendees 

that are foreign nationals (as described 

in section V. of this notice) are required 

to identify themselves as such, and 

provide the necessary information for 

security clearance (as described in 

section V. of this notice) by 5 p.m. e.d.t. 

Thursday, July 5, 2012. 

Deadline for All Other Attendees: All 

other individuals who plan to attend the 

public meeting must register by 5 p.m. 

e.d.t. Monday, July 16, 2012. 

Deadline for Requesting Special 

Accommodations: Persons attending the 

meeting who are hearing or visually 

impaired, or have a condition that 

requires special assistance or 

accommodations, are asked to contact 

the persons as specified in the FOR

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of 

this notice no later July 9, 2012, 5 p.m., 

e.d.t. 

Deadline for Submission of Written 

Comments: Written comments must be 

received at the address specified in the 

ADDRESSES section of this notice by 5 

p.m. e.d.t., Monday, July 30, 2012. Once 

submitted, all comments are final. 

ADDRESSES: Meeting Location: The 

public meeting will be held in the main 

auditorium of the central building of the 

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid 

Services, 7500 Security Boulevard, 

Baltimore, MD 21244–1850. 

Submission of Written Comments: 

Written comments may either be 

emailed to DMEPOS@cms.hhs.gov or 

sent via regular mail to Elliot Klein, 

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 

Services, 7500 Security Boulevard, Mail 

Stop C5–03–17, Baltimore, MD 21244– 

1850. 

Registration and Special 

Accommodations: Individuals wishing 

to participate or who need special 

accommodations or both must register 

by completing the on-line registration 

located at http://www.cms.gov/apps/ 

events/upcomingevents.asp or by 

contacting one of the persons listed in 

the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT

section of this notice. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Hafsa Vahora at (410) 786–7899 or 

Hafsa.Vahora@cms.hhs.gov 

Elliot Klein at (410) 786–0415 or 

Elliot.Klein@cms.hhs.gov 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background 

A. Process for Using Inherent 

Reasonableness Authority 

In the December 13, 2005 Federal 

Register (70 FR 73623), we published a 

final rule entitled ‘‘Medicare Program; 

Application of Inherent Reasonableness 

Payment Policy to Medicare Part B 

Services (Other Than Physician 

Services)’’ that finalized a process for 

establishing a realistic and equitable 

payment amount for Medicare Part B 

services (other than physicians’ 

services) when the existing payment 

amounts are inherently unreasonable 

because they are either grossly excessive 

or grossly deficient. In that December 

2005 final rule, we define grossly 

excessive and deficient payment 

amounts and provide the criteria for 

using valid and reliable data in making 

an inherent reasonableness 

determination. 

Sections 1842(b)(8) and (9) of the Act 

and our regulations at 42 CFR 

405.502(g) and (h) set forth the steps 

that the Secretary must follow in 

determining whether a payment amount 

is grossly excessive and in setting a 

special payment limit. Those steps are 

as follows: 

• Factors Considered In Determining 

Whether Payment Amount is Grossly 

Excessive or Deficient. When making a 

determination that a payment amount is 

grossly excessive, we take into account 

several factors. Factors that may result 

in grossly excessive or deficient 

payment amounts include, but are not 

limited, to the following: 

++ The marketplace is not 

competitive. 

++ Medicare and Medicaid are the 

sole or primary sources of payment for 

a category of items and services. 

++ The payment amounts for a 

category of items and services do not 

reflect changing technology, increased 

facility with that technology, or changes 

in acquisition, production, or supplier 

costs. 

++ The payment amounts for a 

category of items or services in a 

particular locality are grossly high or 

lower than payment amounts in other 

comparable localities for the category of 

items or services. 

++ Payment amounts for a category of 

items and services are grossly higher or 

lower than acquisition or production 


rmajette on DSK2TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES