Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 93 /Thursday, May 14, 1998 / Notices 26811

better perform their tasks; and monitors

their performance in achievement of

their assigned MSP functions. Because

intermediaries and carriers are also

marketing health insurance products

that may have liability when Medicare

is secondary, the MSP provisions create

the potential for conflict of interest.

Recognizing this inherent conflict,

HCFA has taken steps to ensure that its

intermediaries and carriers process

claims in accordance with the MSP

provisions, regardless of what other

insurer is primary. These information

collection requirements describe the

MSP requirements.

Frequency: One time only;

Affected Public: Individuals or

Households;

Number of Respondents: 14,204,000;

Total Annual Responses: 14,204,000;

Total Annual Hours Requested:

773,240.

• 42 CFR 489.20(f)—Third Party

Identification.

Identification and collection of

information concerning proper payers

during the admission process is a

common business practice in the health

care field. HCFA hospital reviews

indicate that only one additional

question is required as compared with

the normal admissions process for nonMedicare patients. In addition, many

hospitals have and will continue to reap

significant benefits due to identification

of primary payers during the admission

process. This relates to the fact that a

private payer’s rate of payment is

normally based on a percentage of

charges, whereas for Medicare patients

the hospital receives the Medicare

payment, which is generally an amount

paid under the prospective payment

system.

• Initial Enrollment Questionnaire

(IEQ)—P.L. 103–432 Sec. 151

The IEQ contractor states that the

average number of IEQs mailed each

calendar year is 1,903,960. The time

required to complete the IEQ is

approximately 15 minutes per

beneficiary. Therefore, the burden is

1,903,960 × 15 minutes = 475,990 of

burden hours per year. The total burden

is 773,240 hours (297,250 + 475,990).

We have submitted a copy of this

notice to OMB for its review of these

information collections. A notice will be

published in the Federal Register when

approval is obtained.

To obtain copies of the supporting

statement and any related forms for the

proposed paperwork collections

referenced above, access HCFA’s Web

Site address at http://www.hcfa.gov/

regs/prdact95.htm, or E-mail your

request, including your address, phone

number, OMB number, and HCFA

document identifier, to

Paperwork@hcfa.gov, or call the Reports

Clearance Office on (410) 786–1326.

Interested persons are invited to send

comments regarding the burden or any

other aspect of these collections of

information requirements. However, as

noted above, comments on these

information collection requirements

must be mailed and/or faxed to the

designees referenced below fourteen

days after the publication of this

Federal Register notice:

Health Care Financing Administration,

Office of Information Services,

Information Technology Investment

Management Group, Division of

HCFA Enterprise Standards, Room

C2–26–17, 7500 Security Boulevard,

Baltimore, MD 21244–1850. Fax

Number: (410) 786–1415. Attn: Louis

Blank HCFA–250 through HCFA–254

and,

Office of Information and Regulatory

Affairs, Office of Management and

Budget, Room 10235, New Executive

Office Building, Washington, DC

20503, Fax Number: (202) 395–6974

or (202) 395–5167. Attn: Allison

Herron Eydt, HCFA Desk Officer.

Dated: May 6, 1998.

John P. Burke III,

HCFA Reports Clearance Officer, HCFA,

Office of Information Services, Information

Technology Investment Management Group,

Division of HCFA Enterprise Standards.

[FR Doc. 98–12802 Filed 5–13–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4120–03–P

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND

HUMAN SERVICES

Health Care Financing Administration

[HCFA–3888–NC]

Medicare and Medicaid Programs:

Request for Public Comments on the

Quality Improvement System for

Managed Care

AGENCY: Health Care Financing

Administration (HCFA), HHS.

ACTION: Solicitation of comments; notice

of public meeting.

SUMMARY: The Quality Improvement

System for Managed Care (QISMC) is a

document that represents the best

thinking on what managed care

organizations contracting with Medicare

and Medicaid should do to protect and

improve the health and satisfaction of

enrolled beneficiaries. This notice

solicits comments on the review draft of

the QISMC document, and informs the

public of a meeting to discuss the

quality improvement system initiative.

DATES: We request that comments be

submitted on or before May 26, 1998.

Public Meeting: In addition to seeking

written comments from the public, we

will hold a public meeting on Tuesday,

May 26, 1998, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30

p.m. e.d.t.

ADDRESSES: The May 26, 1998 public

meeting will be held in the Health Care

Financing Administration Auditorium

at 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore,

Maryland 21207. (For details, see

section III of this notice.)

Mail written comments (1 original

and 3 copies) to the following address:

Health Care Financing Administration,

Department of Health and Human

Services, Attention: HCFA–3888–NC,

P.O. Box 26688, Baltimore, MD 21207.

If you prefer, you may deliver your

written comments (1 original and 3

copies) to one of the following

addresses:

Room 309–G, Hubert H. Humphrey

Building, 200 Independence Avenue,

SW., Washington, DC 20201,

or

Room C5–09–26, 7500 Security

Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21244–

1850

Comments may also be submitted

electronically to the following e-mail

address: hcfa3888nc.hcfa.gov. E-mail

comments must include the full name

and address of the sender and must be

submitted to the referenced address in

order to be considered. All comments

must be incorporated in the e-mail

message because we may not be able to

access attachments. Because of staffing

and resource limitations, we cannot

accept comments by facsimile (FAX)

transmission. In commenting, please

refer to file code HCFA–3888–NC.

Comments received timely will be

available for public inspection as they

are received, generally beginning

approximately 3 weeks after publication

of a document, in Room 309–G of the

Department’s offices at 200

Independence Avenue, SW.,

Washington, DC, on Monday through

Friday of each week from 8:30 a.m. to

5 p.m. (phone: (202) 690–7890).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Brian Agnew, (410) 786–5964.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

The QISMC initiative began in 1996

with the following basic goals:

• To develop a coordinated Medicare

and Medicaid quality oversight system

that would reduce duplicative or

conflicting efforts and send a uniform
26812 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 93 /Thursday, May 14, 1998 / Notices

message on quality to organizations and

consumers.

• To make the most efficient use of

available quality measurement and

improvement tools, while allowing

sufficient flexibility to incorporate new

developments in the rapidly advancing

state of the art.

To support the development of

QISMC, HCFA contracted with the

National Academy for State Health

Policy to produce a conceptual

framework for a unified MedicareMedicaid quality oversight system, a set

of quality standards for managed care

organizations, and interpretive

guidelines for these standards.

The National Academy for State

Health Policy gave selected individuals

and organizations the opportunity to

comment on a review draft of the

QISMC document in January 1998, and

the breadth and depth of the comments

received have convinced us that further

investigation is necessary before we

make any final policy decisions.

Therefore, we have decided to give all

interested parties an opportunity to

comment on the review draft of the

QISMC document.

At this time, the QISMC standards are

not binding on Medicare and Medicaid

managed care organizations. However,

we intend to draw upon the QISMC

document in establishing regulatory

quality assurance requirements under

Medicaid managed care and

Medicare+Choice regulations yet to be

published.

II. Issues To Be Resolved

As mentioned, we have already

received comments from selected

individuals and organizations on the

review draft of the QISMC document.

However, to ensure that we consider the

full range of public opinion, we are

using this notice as a vehicle to inform

the general public that now it too has an

opportunity to comment on the review

draft of the QISMC document. We will

consider written public comments that

are received timely as we finalize the

QISMC document.

The review draft of the QISMC

document is available on our internet

web site (http://www.hcfa.gov/quality/

qlty-3e.htm). Although we welcome

comments on all aspects of the draft, we

are particularly interested in comments

on certain issues identified as especially

significant in comments received during

the January 1998 comment period.

These issues will be identified on our

internet web site as well.

For those unable to access the QISMC

document via the internet, hard copies

may be obtained by calling Ms.

Bronwyn Price of Casals and Associates,

Inc. (C & A) at (703) 920–1234.

III. May 26, 1998 Public Meeting

In addition to seeking written

comments from the public, we will hold

a public meeting on Tuesday, May 26,

1998, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., in our

auditorium at 7500 Security Boulevard,

Baltimore, Maryland. In the morning,

we will hold a plenary session devoted

to general information about QISMC. In

the afternoon, we will convene three

breakout sessions: the first devoted to

technical aspects of quality

improvement activities, such as setting

minimum performance levels and

establishing the phase-in; the second

devoted to issues relating to quality

monitoring (such as deeming and

external review); and the third devoted

to issues affecting HCFA and the State

Medicaid agencies in their roles as

purchasers.

Because seating is limited, attendees

must register for the meeting in

advance. Registration must be made by

May 18. In order to obtain a registration

form for this meeting, please contact Ms.

Jennifer Fink at C & A. Ms. Fink can be

reached via telephone, (703) 920–1234;

fax, (703) 920–5750; or email,

jfink@casals.com. Once your registration

form has been received and processed,

C & A will provide you with a

confirmation form. You must bring the

confirmation form with you in order to

be guaranteed participation in the

meeting. C & A will also provide you

with directions to HCFA Central Office.

(Section 1102 and 1871 of the Social Security

Act (42 U.S.C. 1302 and 1395hh))

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

Program No. 93.773, Medicare—Hospital

Insurance; and Program No. 93.774,

Medicare—Supplementary Medical

Insurance Program)

Dated: May 4, 1998.

Nancy-Ann Min DeParle,

Administrator, Health Care Financing

Administration.

[FR Doc. 98–13040 Filed 5–12–98; 2:54 pm]

BILLING CODE 4120–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND

HUMAN SERVICES

Office of Inspector General

Program Exclusions: April 1998

AGENCY: Office of Inspector General,

HHS.

ACTION: Notice of program exclusions.

During the month of April 1998, the

HHS Office of Inspector General

imposed exclusions in the cases set

forth below. When an exclusion is

imposed, no program payment is made

to anyone for any items or services

(other than an emergency item or

service not provided in a hospital

emergency room) furnished, ordered or

prescribed by an excluded party under

the Medicare, Medicaid, and all Federal

Health Care programs. In addition, no

program payment is made to any

business or facility, e.g., a hospital, that

submits bills for payment for items or

services provided by an excluded party.

Program beneficiaries remain free to

decide for themselves whether they will

continue to use the services of an

excluded party even though no program

payments will be made for items and

services provided by that excluded

party. The exclusions have national

effect and also apply to all Executive

Branch procurement and nonprocurement programs and activities.

Subject, city, state Effective

date

Program-Related Convictions:

Advanced Clinical Associates, Baltimore, MD ........... 05/20/1998

Baig, Sharif, Grosse Ile, MI ... 05/20/1998

Beich, Michael N, Windham,

ME ..................................... 05/20/1998

Bracks, Oscar JR, Farmers

Branch, TX ......................... 10/28/1997

Celestain, Vickie, Beaumont,

TX ...................................... 05/20/1998

Duarte, Angela, Woonsocket,

RI ....................................... 05/20/1998

Dworzanin, Gregory, Plymouth Twnshp, MI ................ 05/20/1998

Goldbaum, Henry Romero,

Frederick, MD .................... 05/20/1998

Greene, Rose Marie, Baltimore, MD ........................... 05/20/1998

Hester, Angela Dailey,

Ruston, LA ......................... 05/20/1998

Hunt, Aurelia Hilda, Sacramento, CA ...................... 05/20/1998

Jiggetts, Wayne R SR, Baltimore, MD ........................... 05/20/1998

Lewis, Jeffrey Blaine, Manchester, KY ........................ 07/21/1997

Missakian, Hratch, Glendale,

CA ...................................... 05/20/1998

Misto, Ralph L, Cranston, RI 05/20/1998

Ricci Pharmacy Inc, Brooklyn, NY ............................... 05/20/1998

Salerno, David Martin, Monroe, CT ............................... 05/20/1998

Salinski, Theodore, Chicago,

IL ........................................ 05/20/1998

Sazama, Gary P, Logan, UT 05/20/1998

Schoonover, Hazel, Columbus, OH ............................. 05/20/1998

Spisak, Irene P, Quincy, FL .. 05/20/1998

Swan, Maria, Miami, FL ........ 05/20/1998

Terrace View Diversified

Health, Seattle, WA ........... 05/20/1998

Towanit, Pol, Blythe, CA ....... 05/20/1998

Valdes, Daisy R, Glade Valley, NC ............................... 05/20/1998

Valdes, Maximino D, Glade

Valley, NC .......................... 05/20/1998