61190 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 247 / Wednesday, December 27, 2017 / Rules and Regulations 

TABLE 88—ESTIMATED IMPACT OF THE CY 2018 CHANGES FOR THE HOSPITAL OUTPATIENT PROSPECTIVE PAYMENT

SYSTEM—Continued 

Number of 

hospitals 

APC 

recalibration 

(all changes) 

New wage 

index and 

provider 

adjustments 

340B 

adjustment 

All budget 

neutral 

changes 

(combined 

cols 2–4) 

with market 

basket update 

All changes 

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) 

CMHCs ..................................................... 49 12.5 0.2 3.2 17.8 17.9 

Column (1) shows total hospitals and/or CMHCs. 

Column (2) includes all final CY 2018 OPPS policies and compares those to the CY 2017 OPPS. 

Column (3) shows the budget neutral impact of updating the wage index by applying the FY 2018 hospital inpatient wage index, including all 

hold harmless policies and transitional wages. The rural adjustment continues our current policy of 7.1 percent so the budget neutrality factor is 

1. The budget neutrality adjustment for the cancer hospital adjustment is 1.0008 because the target payment-to-cost ratio changes from 0.91 in 

CY 2017 to 0.89 in CY 2018 and is further reduced by 1 percentage point to 0.88 in accordance with the 21st Century Cures Act. However, this 

reduction does not affect the budget neutrality adjustment consistent with statute. 

Column (4) shows the impact of the 340B drug payment reductions and the corresponding increase in non-drug payments. 

Column (5) shows the impact of all budget neutrality adjustments and the addition of the 1.35 percent OPD fee schedule update factor (2.7 

percent reduced by 0.6 percentage points for the productivity adjustment and further reduced by 0.75 percentage point as required by law). 

Column (6) shows the additional adjustments to the conversion factor resulting from the frontier adjustment, a change in the pass-through estimate, and adding estimated outlier payments. 

These 3,878 providers include children and cancer hospitals, which are held harmless to pre-BBA amounts, and CMHCs. 

** Complete DSH numbers are not available for providers that are not paid under IPPS, including rehabilitation, psychiatric, and long-term care 

hospitals. 

19. On page 59488, bottom third of 

the page, 

a. Second column, first partial 

paragraph, in line 6, correct ‘‘17.2’’ to 

read ‘‘17.9’’. 

b. Third column, first partial 

paragraph, in line 10, correct ‘‘17.2’’ to 

read ‘‘17.9’’. 

Dated: December 20, 2017. 

Ann C. Agnew, 

Executive Secretary to the Department, 

Department of Health and Human Services. 

[FR Doc. 2017–27949 Filed 12–22–17; 4:15 pm] 

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 679 

[Docket No. 161020985–7181–02] 

RIN 0648–XF908 

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic 

Zone Off Alaska; Reallocation of 

Pacific Cod in the Bering Sea and 

Aleutian Islands Management Area 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Temporary rule; reallocation. 

SUMMARY: NMFS is reallocating the 

projected unused amount of Pacific cod 

from catcher vessels equal to or greater 

than 60 feet (18.3 meters) length overall 

(LOA) using pot gear to catcher/ 

processors (C/Ps) using pot gear, catcher 

vessels less than 60 feet (18.3 meters) 

LOA using hook-and-line or pot gear, 

and C/Ps using hook-and-line gear in 

the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands 

management area. This action is 

necessary to allow the 2017 total 

allowable catch of Pacific cod to be 

harvested. 

DATES: Effective December 21, 2017, 

through 2400 hours, Alaska local time 

(A.l.t.), December 31, 2017. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Josh 

Keaton, 907–586–7228. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS 

manages the groundfish fishery in the 

Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) 

according to the Fishery Management 

Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea 

and Aleutian Islands Management Area 

(FMP) prepared by the North Pacific 

Fishery Management Council under 

authority of the Magnuson-Stevens 

Fishery Conservation and Management 

Act. Regulations governing fishing by 

U.S. vessels in accordance with the FMP 

appear at subpart H of 50 CFR part 600 

and 50 CFR part 679. 

The 2017 Pacific cod total allowable 

catch (TAC) specified for catcher vessels 

greater than or equal to 60 feet LOA 

using pot gear in the BSAI is 15,389 

metric tons (mt) as established by the 

final 2017 and 2018 harvest 

specifications for groundfish in the 

BSAI (82 FR 11826, February 27, 2017) 

and reallocation (82 FR 47162, October 

11, 2017). 

The Administrator, Alaska Region, 

NMFS, (Regional Administrator) has 

determined that catcher vessels greater 

than or equal to 60 feet LOA using pot 

gear will not be able to harvest 1,500 mt 

of the remaining 2017 Pacific cod TAC 

allocated to those vessels under 

§ 679.20(a)(7)(ii)(A)(5). Therefore, in 

accordance with § 679.20(a)(7)(iii), 

taking into account the capabilities of 

the sectors to harvest reallocated 

amounts of Pacific cod, and following 

the hierarchies set forth in 

§ 679.20(a)(7)(iii)(A) and 

§ 679.20(a)(7)(iii)(B), NMFS reallocates 

155 mt of Pacific cod to C/Ps using pot 

gear, 200 mt to catcher vessels less than 

60 feet (18.3 m) LOA using hook-andline or pot gear, and 1,145 mt to C/Ps 

using hook-and-line gear. 

The harvest specifications for Pacific 

cod included in the final 2017 harvest 

specifications for groundfish in the 

BSAI (82 FR 11826, February 27, 2017) 

and reallocations (FR 57162, December 

4, 2017; 82 FR 43503, September 18, 

2017; 82 FR 41899, September 5, 2017; 

and 82 FR 8905, February 1, 2017; 82) 

are revised as follows: 13,889 mt for 

catcher vessels greater than or equal to 

60 feet (18.3 m) LOA using pot gear, 

4,999 mt for C/Ps using pot gear, 9,271 

mt for catcher vessels less than 60 feet 

(18.3 m) LOA using hook-and-line or 

pot gear, and 107,589 mt for C/Ps using 

hook-and-line gear. 

Classification 

This action responds to the best 

available information recently obtained 

from the fishery. The Assistant 

Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA 

(AA), finds good cause to waive the 

requirement to provide prior notice and 


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Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 247 / Wednesday, December 27, 2017 / Rules and Regulations 61191 

opportunity for public comment 

pursuant to the authority set forth at 5 

U.S.C. 553(b)(B) as such requirement is 

impracticable and contrary to the public 

interest. This requirement is 

impracticable and contrary to the public 

interest as it would prevent NMFS from 

responding to the most recent fisheries 

data in a timely fashion and would 

delay the reallocation of Pacific cod 

specified from catcher vessels greater 

than or equal to 60 feet (18.3 m) LOA 

using pot gear to C/Ps using pot gear, 

catcher vessels less than 60 feet (18.3 m) 

LOA using hook-and-line or pot gear, 

and catcher/processors using hook-andline gear in the BSAI management area. 

Since these fisheries are currently open, 

it is important to immediately inform 

the industry as to the revised 

allocations. Immediate notification is 

necessary to allow for the orderly 

conduct and efficient operation of this 

fishery, to allow the industry to plan for 

the fishing season, and to avoid 

potential disruption to the fishing fleet 

as well as processors. NMFS was unable 

to publish a notice providing time for 

public comment because the most 

recent, relevant data only became 

available as of December 6, 2017. 

The AA also finds good cause to 

waive the 30-day delay in the effective 

date of this action under 5 U.S.C. 

553(d)(3). This finding is based upon 

the reasons provided above for waiver of 

prior notice and opportunity for public 

comment. 

This action is required by § 679.20 

and is exempt from review under 

Executive Order 12866. 

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. 

Dated: December 21, 2017. 

Alan D. Risenhoover, 

Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2017–27873 Filed 12–21–17; 4:15 pm] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 


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