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[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 227 (Monday, November 26, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70447-70449]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-28639]

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

[CMS-1597-N]

Medicare Program; Semi-Annual Meeting of the Advisory Panel on 
Hospital Outpatient Payment (HOP Panel)--March 11 and 12, 2013

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, the Panel), (the 
Ambulatory Payment Classification (APC) Panel) for 2013. 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 first semi-annual meeting in 2013 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 the times listed in this notice, but will not begin 
before the posted times:
     Monday, March 11, 2013, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. EDT
     Tuesday, March 12, 2013, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EDT

Deadlines

Deadline for Presentations and Comments

    The email copy of a presentation or comment and form CMS-20017 must 
be in the Designated Federal Official's (DFO's) email inbox 
(APCPanel@cms.hhs.gov) by 5 p.m. EDT, Friday, January 25, 2013. The 
hardcopy of the presentation must be received by the DFO on or before 
Friday, February 1, 2013. Presentations and comments that are not 
received by the due dates will be considered late and will not be 
included on the agenda. (See below for submission instructions for both 
hardcopy and electronic submissions.)
    Meeting Registration Timeframe: Monday, January 9, 2013 through 
Friday, February 22, 2013 at 5 p.m. EDT.
    Participants planning to attend this meeting in person must 
register online, during the above specified timeframe at: https://www.cms.gov/apps/events/default.asp. On this Web page, double click the 
``Upcoming Events'' hyperlink, and then double click the ``HOP Panel'' 
event title link and enter the required information. Include any 
requests for special accommodations. Note: Participants who do not plan 
to attend this meeting in person should not register. No registration 
is required for participants that plan to view the meeting via webcast.

[[Page 70448]]

Submission Instructions for Presentations and Comments

    Because of staffing and resource limitations, we cannot accept 
written comments and or presentations by FAX.

Presentations

    Presentation subject matter must be within 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 are limited to 5 minutes total presentation time, 
regardless of the number of individuals or organizations represented by 
a single presentation. Presenters may use their 5 minutes to represent 
either one or more agenda items.
    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 or Medicare 
beneficiaries in any of the documents (unless their faces have been 
blocked out) or include any examples with personally 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.
    2. An email copy of your presentation sent to the DFO mailbox, 
APCPanel@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.
    [cir] 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.
    [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.
    Meeting Location and Webcast: The meeting will be held in the 
Auditorium, CMS Central Office, 7500 Security Boulevard, Woodlawn, 
Maryland 21244-1850.
    Alternately, the public may view this meeting via a webcast. During 
the scheduled meeting, webcasting is accessible online at: http://cms.gov/live or http://www.ustream.tv. Viewers interested in receiving 
the webcast from http://www.ustream.tv will need to type ``CMS Public 
Events'' in the search bar to access the webcast.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For inquiries about the Panel, contact 
the DFO: Chuck Braver, 7500 Security Boulevard, Mail Stop: C4-05-17, 
Woodlawn, MD 21244-1850. Phone: (410) 786-3985. Email: 
APCPanel@cms.hhs.gov
    Mail hardcopies and email copies to the following addresses: Chuck 
Braver, DFO, CMS, CM, HAPG, DOC--HOP Panel, 7500 Security Blvd. Mail 
Stop: C4-05-17, Woodlawn, MD 21244-1850 Email: APCPanel@cms.hhs.gov

    Note: We recommend that you advise couriers of the following 
information: When delivering hardcopies of presentations to CMS, 
call (410) 786-4532 or (410) 786-6719 to ensure receipt of documents 
by appropriate staff.

    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) 786-3985 (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-and-Guidance/Guidance/FACA/AdvisoryPanelonAmbulatoryPaymentClassificationGroups.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 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 March 2013 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 before the 
meeting.

[[Page 70449]]

III. Oral Comments

    In addition to formal oral presentations, which are limited to 5 
minutes total per presentation, 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 register by following the instructions in the ``Meeting 
Registration Timeframe'' section of this notice. A confirmation email 
will be sent to the registrants shortly after completing the 
registration process.

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 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 include the request for these services during 
registration.

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: November 14, 2012.
Marilyn Tavenner,
Acting Administrator, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
[FR Doc. 2012-28639 Filed 11-23-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-01-P
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