Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 244 / Friday, December 19, 2014 / Notices 75817 

care provided to Medicaid beneficiaries 

enrolled in Medicaid/CHIP MCOs. 

States use the information during their 

oversight of these organizations. Form 

Number: CMS–R–305 (OMB control 

number 0938–0786); Frequency: Yearly; 

Affected Public: State, Local, or Tribal 

Governments; Number of Respondents: 

43; Total Annual Responses: 76; Total 

Annual Hours: 451,288. (For policy 

questions regarding this collection 

contact Barbara Dailey at 410–786– 

9012). 

3. Type of Information Collection 

Request: New collection (Request for a 

new OMB control number); Title of 

Information Collection: Federally 

Qualified Health Center Cost Report 

Form; Use: Providers of services 

participating in the Medicare program 

are required under sections 1815(a) and 

1861(v)(1)(A) of the Act (42 U.S.C. 

1395g) to submit annual information to 

achieve settlement of costs for health 

care services rendered to Medicare 

beneficiaries. In addition, regulations at 

42 CFR 413.20 and 413.24 require 

adequate cost data and cost reports from 

providers on an annual basis. The form 

CMS–224–14 cost report is needed to 

determine a provider’s reasonable costs 

incurred in furnishing medical services 

to Medicare beneficiaries and 

reimbursement due to or from a 

provider. Form Number: CMS–224–14 

(OMB control number 0938-New); 

Frequency: Yearly; Affected Public: 

Private sector—For-profit and Not-forprofit institutions; Number of 

Respondents: 1,296; Total Annual 

Responses: 1,296; Total Annual Hours: 

75,168. (For policy questions regarding 

this collection contact Julie Stankivic at 

410–786–5725). 

Dated: December 16, 2014. 

Martique Jones, 

Director, Regulations Development Group, 

Office of Strategic Operations and Regulatory 

Affairs. 

[FR Doc. 2014–29741 Filed 12–18–14; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4120–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Centers for Medicare &Medicaid 

Services 

[CMS–3307–PN] 

Medicare and Medicaid Programs: 

Application from the Joint Commission 

for Continued CMS-Approval of its 

Hospice Accreditation Program 

AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & 

Medicaid Services, HHS. 

ACTION: Proposed Notice. 

SUMMARY: This proposed notice with 

comment period acknowledges the 

receipt of an application from the Joint 

Commission for continued recognition 

as a national accrediting organization 

for hospices that wish to participate in 

the Medicare or Medicaid programs. A 

hospice that participates in Medicaid 

must also meet the Medicare conditions 

for participation as required under 42 

CFR 488.6(b). The statute requires that 

within 60 days of receipt of an 

organization’s complete application, we 

publish a notice that identifies the 

national accrediting body making the 

request, describes the nature of the 

request, and provides at least a 30-day 

public comment period. 

DATES: To be assured consideration, 

comments must be received at one of 

the addresses provided below, no later 

than 5 p.m. on January 19, 2015. 

ADDRESSES: In commenting, please refer 

to file code CMS–3307–PN. Because of 

staff and resource limitations, we cannot 

accept comments by facsimile (FAX) 

transmission. 

You may submit comments in one of 

four ways: 

1. Electronically. You may submit 

electronic comments on specific issues 

in this regulation to http://

www.regulations.gov. Follow the 

‘‘submit a comment’’ instructions. 

2. By regular mail. You may mail 

written comments (one original and two 

copies) to the following address ONLY: 

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 

Services, Department of Health and 

Human Services, Attention: CMS–3307– 

PN, P.O. Box 8010, Baltimore, MD 

21244–8010. 

Please allow sufficient time for mailed 

comments to be received before the 

close of the comment period. 

3. By express or overnight mail. You 

may send written comments (one 

original and two copies) to the following 

address only: 

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 

Services, Department of Health and 

Human Services, Attention: CMS–3307– 

PN, Mail Stop C4–26–05, 7500 Security 

Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21244–1850. 

4. By hand or courier. Alternatively, 

you may deliver (by hand or courier) 

your written comments to the following 

addresses: 

a. For delivery in Washington, DCCenters for Medicare & Medicaid 

Services, Room 445–G, Hubert H. 

Humphrey Building, 200 Independence 

Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20201 

(Because access to the interior of the 

HHS Building is not readily available to 

persons without Federal Government 

identification, commenters are 

encouraged to leave their comments in 

the CMS drop slots located in the main 

lobby of the building. A stamp-in clock 

is available for persons wishing to retain 

a proof of filing by stamping in and 

retaining an extra copy of the comments 

being filed.) 

Comments mailed to the addresses 

indicated as appropriate for hand or 

courier delivery may be delayed and 

received after the comment period. 

b. For delivery in Baltimore, MD— 

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 

Services, Department of Health and 

Human Services, 7500 Security 

Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21244 

If you intend to deliver your 

comments to the Baltimore address, call 

telephone number (410) 786–9994 in 

advance to schedule your arrival with 

one of our staff members. 

For information on viewing public 

comments, see the beginning of the 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Lillian Williams, (410) 786–8636 

Cindy Melanson, (410) 786–0310 

Patricia Chmielewski, (410) 786–6899 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Inspection of Public Comments: All 

comments received before the close of 

the comment period are available for 

viewing by the public, including any 

personally identifiable or confidential 

business information that is included in 

a comment. We post all comments 

received before the close of the 

comment period on the following Web 

site as soon as possible after they have 

been received: http://

www.regulations.gov. Follow the search 

instructions on that Web site to view 

public comments. 

Comments received timely will also 

be available for public inspection as 

they are received, generally beginning 

approximately 3 weeks after publication 

of a document, at the headquarters of 

the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 

Services, 7500 Security Boulevard, 

Baltimore, Maryland 21244, Monday 

through Friday of each week from 8:30 

a.m. to 4 p.m. To schedule an 

appointment to view public comments, 

phone 1–800–743–3951. 

I. Background 

Under the Medicare program, eligible 

beneficiaries may receive covered 

services in a hospice provided certain 

requirements are met by the hospice. 

Sections 1861(dd) of the Social Security 

Act (the Act) establish distinct criteria 

for facilities seeking designation as a 

hospice. Regulations concerning 

provider agreements are at 42 CFR part 

489 and those pertaining to activities 

relating to the survey and certification 

of facilities are at 42 CFR part 488. The 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES

75818 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 244 / Friday, December 19, 2014 / Notices 

regulations at 42 CFR part 418, specify 

the conditions that a hospice must meet 

in order to participate in the Medicare 

program, the scope of covered services 

and the conditions for Medicare 

payment for hospices. 

Generally, to enter into an agreement, 

a hospice must first be certified by a 

State survey agency as complying with 

the conditions or requirements set forth 

in part 418. Thereafter, the hospice is 

subject to regular surveys by a State 

survey agency to determine whether it 

continues to meet these requirements. 

Section 1865(a)(1) of the Act provides 

that, if a provider entity demonstrates 

through accreditation by an approved 

national accrediting organization that all 

applicable Medicare conditions are met 

or exceeded, we will deem those 

provider entities as having met the 

requirements. Accreditation by an 

accrediting organization is voluntary 

and is not required for Medicare 

participation. 

If an accrediting organization is 

recognized by the Secretary of the 

Department of Health and Human 

Services (the Secretary) as having 

standards for accreditation that meet or 

exceed the Medicare requirements, any 

provider entity accredited by the 

national accrediting body’s approved 

program would be deemed to meet the 

Medicare conditions. A national 

accrediting organization applying for 

deeming authority under part 488, 

subpart A must provide CMS with 

reasonable assurance that the 

accrediting organization requires the 

accredited provider entities to meet 

requirements that are at least as 

stringent as the Medicare conditions. 

Our regulations concerning the 

reapproval of accrediting organizations 

are set forth at § 488.4 and § 488.8(d)(3). 

The regulations at § 488.8(d)(3) require 

accrediting organizations to reapply for 

continued deeming authority every 6 

years or sooner as determined by CMS. 

The Joint Commission’s current term 

of approval for its hospice accreditation 

program expires June 18, 2015. 

II. Approval of Deeming Organizations 

Section 1865(a)(2) of the Act and our 

regulations at § 488.8(a) require that our 

findings concerning review and 

approval of a national accrediting 

organization’s requirements consider, 

among other factors, the applying 

accrediting organization’s requirements 

for accreditation; survey procedures; 

resources for conducting required 

surveys; capacity to furnish information 

for use in enforcement activities; 

monitoring procedures for provider 

entities found not in compliance with 

the conditions or requirements; and 

ability to provide us with the necessary 

data for validation. 

Section 1865(a)(3)(A) of the Act 

further requires that we publish, within 

60 days of receipt of an organization’s 

complete application, a notice 

identifying the national accrediting 

body making the request, describing the 

nature of the request, and providing at 

least a 30-day public comment period. 

We have 210 days from the receipt of a 

complete application to publish notice 

of approval or denial of the application. 

The purpose of this proposed notice 

is to inform the public of the Joint 

Commission’s request for continued 

CMS approval of its hospice 

accreditation program. This notice also 

solicits public comment on whether the 

Joint Commission’s requirements meet 

or exceed the Medicare conditions for 

participation for hospices. 

III. Evaluation of Deeming Authority 

Request 

The Joint Commission submitted all 

the necessary materials to enable us to 

make a determination concerning its 

request for continued approval of its 

hospice accreditation program. This 

application was determined to be 

complete on September 25, 2014. Under 

Section 1865(a)(2) of the Act and our 

regulations at § 488.8 (Federal review of 

accrediting organizations), our review 

and evaluation of the Joint Commission 

will be conducted in accordance with, 

but not necessarily limited to, the 

following factors: 

• The equivalency of the Joint 

Commission’s standards for hospices as 

compared with CMS’ hospice 

conditions of participation. 

• The Joint Commission’s survey 

process to determine the following: 

++ The Joint Commission’s 

composition of the survey team, 

surveyor qualifications, and the ability 

of the organization to provide 

continuing surveyor training. 

++ The Joint Commission’s processes 

compared to those of State agencies, 

including survey frequency, and the 

ability to investigate and respond 

appropriately to complaints against 

accredited facilities. 

++ The Joint Commission’s processes 

and procedures for monitoring a hospice 

found out of compliance with the Joint 

Commission’s program requirements. 

These monitoring procedures are used 

only when the Joint Commission 

identifies noncompliance. If 

noncompliance is identified through 

validation reviews, the State survey 

agency monitors corrections as specified 

at § 488.7(d). 

++ The Joint Commission’s capacity 

to report deficiencies to the surveyed 

facilities and respond to the facility’s 

plan of correction in a timely manner. 

++ The Joint Commission’s capacity 

to provide CMS with electronic data, 

and reports necessary for effective 

validation and assessment of the 

organization’s survey process. 

++ The Joint Commission’s staff 

adequacy and other resources, and its 

financial viability. 

++ The Joint Commission’s capacity 

to adequately fund required surveys. 

++ The Joint Commission’s policies 

with respect to whether surveys are 

announced or unannounced, to assure 

that surveys are unannounced. 

++ The Joint Commission’s 

agreement to provide us with a copy of 

the most current accreditation survey 

together with any other information 

related to the survey as we may require 

(including corrective action plans). 

IV. Collection of Information 

Requirements 

This document does not impose 

information collection requirements, 

that is, reporting, recordkeeping or 

third-party disclosure requirements. 

Consequently, there is no need for 

review by the Office of Management and 

Budget under the authority of the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. 

V. Response to Public Comments 

Because of the large number of public 

comments we normally receive on 

Federal Register documents, we are not 

able to acknowledge or respond to them 

individually. We will consider all 

comments we receive by the date and 

time specified in the DATES section of 

this preamble, and, when we proceed 

with a subsequent document, we will 

respond to the comments in the 

preamble to that document. 

Upon completion of our evaluation, 

including evaluation of comments 

received as a result of this notice, we 

will publish a final notice in the Federal 

Register announcing the result of our 

evaluation. 

Dated: December 3, 2014. 

Marilyn Tavenner, 

Administrator, Centers for Medicare & 

Medicaid Services. 

[FR Doc. 2014–29757 Filed 12–18–14; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4120–01–P 

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