[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 189 (Friday, September 30, 2005)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 57174-57177]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-19609]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

42 CFR Part 418

[CMS-1286-CN]
RIN 0938-AN89


Medicare Program; Hospice Wage Index for Fiscal Year 2006

AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), HHS.

ACTION: Final rule, correction.

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SUMMARY: This document corrects technical errors that appeared in the 
final rule published in the Federal Register on August 4, 2005, 
entitled ``Hospice Wage Index for Fiscal Year 2006.'' This document is 
effective on October 1, 2005, the effective date of the provisions of 
the final rule.

EFFECTIVE DATE: This notice is effective on October 1, 2005.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Terri Deutsch, (410) 786-9462.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background

    Federal Register Doc. 05-15290 of August 4, 2005 (70 FR 45130), 
entitled ``Hospice Wage Index for Fiscal Year 2006,'' includes errors 
that are identified and corrected in the ``Correction of Errors'' 
section below. The errors in this correcting notice are effective as if 
they had been included in the document published on August 4, 2005. 
Accordingly, the corrections are effective on October 1, 2005, the 
effective date of the provisions of the August 4, 2005 final rule.

II. Summary of the Corrections to the August 4, 2005 Final Rule

    In the August 4, 2005 final rule, on pages 45146 through 45167, we 
published an Addendum. In Table A of the addendum, we published the 
updated urban and rural wage index values for hospices utilizing the 
Core-Based Statistical Areas (CBSA) designations. To ensure that 
hospice providers were able to identify their current wage index, Table 
A contains the CBSA code, CBSA wage index, CBSA county name, and the 
current MSA designation. There are typographical errors in the wage 
indexes listed in the table that were as a result of formatting the 
columns. In addition, in several sections throughout the table (that 
is, for the CBSA county names located in the urban areas of 
Gainesville, FL; Newark Union, NJ-PA; Waterloo-Cedar Falls, LA; and 
Wilmington, DE-MD-NJ), we inadvertently omitted the asterisk that 
corresponds to the footnotes that appear at the end of the table.
    This correction notice is consistent with the published hospice 
wage index values that will be used to make payment as of October 1, 
2005. In section III of this notice, we provide a description of the 
errors and the changes being made to correct the errors. Thus, for 
clarity, we will republish only the section of the table that contains 
errors.

III. Correction of Errors

0
In Federal Register Doc. 05-15290 of August 4, 2005 (70 FR 45130), we 
are making the following corrections to Table A--Hospice Wage Index for 
Urban Areas by CBSA:


Sec.  418.304  [Corrected]

0
1. On page 45146, in the third column, in lines 15 and 16, for CBSA 
code 10420, indent the CBSA county name for ``Portage, OH'' and 
``Summit, OH'' to follow the format of the table.
    The CBSA code for 10420 should read as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                   Urban area (constituent
     CBSA code       Wage Index       counties or county       MSA code
                          1             equivalents) 2
------------------------------------------------------------------------
10420..............      0.9604  Akron, OH..................        0080
                                  Portage, OH...............
                                  Summit, OH................
------------------------------------------------------------------------


0
2. On page 45150, in the third column, in lines 25 through 27, for CBSA 
code 17420, move the CBSA county name for ``Cleveland, TN'' to line-up 
with the column and indent the CBSA county

[[Page 57175]]

names for ``Bradley, TN'' and ``Polk, TN'' to follow the format of the 
table.
    The CBSA code for 17420 should read as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                   Urban area (constituent
     CBSA Code       Wage Index       counties or county       MSA code
                          1             equivalents) 2
------------------------------------------------------------------------
17420..............      0.8337  Cleveland, TN..............          44
                                  Bradley, TN...............
                                  Polk, TN..................
------------------------------------------------------------------------


0
3. On page 45151--
0
A. In the second column, in the 12th entry, for CBSA code 19340, move 
the wage index value ``0.9076'' from the CBSA county name Rock Island, 
IL* to ``Mercer, IL*.''
0
B. In the second column, in the 15th entry for CBSA code 19380, move 
the wage index value ``0.9579'' from the CBSA county name Miami, OH* to 
``Prebele, OH*.''
0
C. In the third column, in the 14th line from the bottom, for CBSA code 
19780, remove the figure from in front of the word ``Madison.'' In 
addition, indent the CBSA county name for ``Madison, IA*,'' to follow 
the format of the table.
    The table for CBSA codes 19340, 19380, and 19780 should read as 
follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                  Urban area  (constituents
     CBSA code       Wage index      counties or country       MSA code
                         \1\           equivalents) \2\
------------------------------------------------------------------------
19340..............  ..........  Davenport-Moline-Rock
                                  Island, IA-IL.
                         0.9305   Henry, IL*................        1960
                                  Rock Island, IL*..........        1960
                                  Scott, IA*................        1960
                         0.9076   Mercer, IL*...............          14
------------------------------------------------------------------------

* * * * *

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                  Urban area  (constitutent
     CBSA code       Wage index       counties or county       MSA code
                         \1\           equivalents) \2\
------------------------------------------------------------------------
19380..............  ..........  Dayton, OH.................  ..........
                         0.9829   Greene, OH*...............        2000
                                  Miami, OH*................        2000
                                  Montgomery, OH*...........        2000
                         0.9579   Preble, OH*...............          36
------------------------------------------------------------------------

* * * * *

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                  Urban area  (constitutent
     CBSA code       Wage index       counties or county       MSA code
                         \1\           equivalents) \2\
------------------------------------------------------------------------
19780..............  ..........  Des Moines, IA*............
                         0.9828   Dallas, IA*...............        2120
                                  Polk, IA*.................        2120
                                  Warren, IA*...............        2120
                         0.9449   Guthrie, IA*..............          16
                                  Madison, IA*..............          16
------------------------------------------------------------------------


0
4. On page 45152, in the third column--
0
A. In line 14, for the CBSA code 20764, format the CBSA county name for 
``Ocean, NJ*'' to line-up with the CBSA county name ``Monmouth, NJ*.''
0
B. In the 10th line from the bottom, for CBSA code 22500, remove the 
asterisk from the CBSA county name for ``Florence, SC.''
0
C. In the 8th and 9th lines from the bottom, for CBSA code 22500, add 
an asterisk to the CBSA county name for ``Florence, SC'' and indent the 
CBSA county names for ``Darlington, SC* and Florence, SC'' to follow 
the format of the table.
    The table for CBSA code 20764 and 22500 should read as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                   Urban area  (constituent
     CBSA code       Wage index       counties or county       MSA code
                         \1\           equivalents) \2\
------------------------------------------------------------------------
20764..............  ..........  Edison, NJ.................
                         1.1930   Middlesex, NJ*............        5015
                                  Somerset, NJ*.............        5015
                         1.1680   Monmouth, NJ*.............        5190
                                  Ocean, NJ*................        5190
------------------------------------------------------------------------


[[Page 57176]]

* * * * *

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                   Urban area  (constituent
     CBSA code       Wage index       counties or county       MSA code
                         \1\           equivalents) \2\
------------------------------------------------------------------------
22500..............  ..........  Florence, SC...............
                         0.9267   Darlington, SC*...........          42
                         0.9436   Florence, SC*.............        2655
------------------------------------------------------------------------


0
5. On page 45153, in the third column, for CBSA code 23540, add an 
asterisk to the CBSA county name for ``Alachua, FL'' and ``Gilchrist, 
FL.''
    The table for CBSA code 23540 should read as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                   Urban area  (constituent
     CBSA code       Wage index       counties or county       MSA code
                         \1\           equivalents) \2\
------------------------------------------------------------------------
23540..............  ..........  Gainesville, FL............
                         0.9642   Alachua, FL*..............        2900
                         1.0033   Gilchrist, FL*............          10
------------------------------------------------------------------------


0
6. On page 45154, in the third column, in the 16th line from the 
bottom, for CBSA code 26580, indent the CBSA county name for ``Boyd, 
KY'' to follow the format of the table.
    The table for CBSA code 26580 should read as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                   Urban area  (constituent
     CBSA code       Wage index       counties or county       MSA code
                         \1\           equivalents) \2\
------------------------------------------------------------------------
26580..............      1.0144  Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-         3400
                                  OH.
                                  Boyd, KY..................
                                  Cabell, WV................
                                  Greenup, KY...............
                                  Lawrence, OH..............
                                  Wayne, WV.................
------------------------------------------------------------------------


0
7. On page 45159, in the third column, in lines 19 through 24, for CBSA 
code 35084, add an asterisk to the CBSA county name for ``Pike, PA'', 
``Essex, NJ,'' ``Morris, NJ,'' ``Sussex, NJ,'' ``Union, NJ,'' and 
``Hunterdon, NJ.''
    The table for CBSA code 35084 should read as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                   Urban area  (constituent
     CBSA code       Wage index       counties or county       MSA code
                         \1\           equivalents) \2\
------------------------------------------------------------------------
  35084............  ..........  Newark-Union, NJ-PA........
                         1.2122   Pike, PA*.................        5660
                         1.2363   Essex, NJ*................        5640
                                  Morris, NJ*...............        5640
                                  Sussex, NJ*...............        5640
                                  Union, NJ*................        5640
                         1.2223   Hunterdon, NJ*............        5015
------------------------------------------------------------------------


0
8. On page 45160--
0
A. In the first column, in the first entry from the bottom, for CBSA 
code 1.0183, remove the CBSA code ``1.0183'' and add in its place the 
CBSA code ``38540.''
0
B. In the second column, in the first entry from the bottom, in the 
wage index column, add the wage index value ``1.0183'' to the CBSA 
county name ``Power, ID*.''
    The table for CBSA code 38540 should read as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                   Urban area  (constituent
     CBSA code       Wage index       counties or county       MSA code
                         \1\           equivalents) \2\
------------------------------------------------------------------------
38540..............  ..........  Pocatello, ID..............
                         0.9773   Bannock, ID*..............        6340
                         1.0183   Power, ID*................          13
------------------------------------------------------------------------


0
9. On page 45166, in the third column, in the 6th through 9th lines 
from the bottom, for CBSA code 47940, add an asterisk to the CBSA 
county names for ``Black Hawk, IA,'' ``Bremer, IA'', and ``Grundy, 
IA.''
    The table for CBSA code 47940 should read as follows:

[[Page 57177]]



------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                   Urban area  (constituent
     CBSA code       Wage index       counties or county       MSA code
                         \1\           equivalents) \2\
------------------------------------------------------------------------
47940..............  ..........  Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA.
                         0.9157   Black Hawk, IA *..........        8920
                         0.9113   Bremer, IA *..............          16
                     ..........   Grundy, IA *..............          16
------------------------------------------------------------------------


0
10. On page 45167, in the third column, in lines 22 through 24, for 
CBSA code 48864, add an asterisk to the CBSA county names for ``Cecil, 
MD'', New Castle, DE,'' and ``Salem, NJ.''
    The table for CBSA code 48864 should read as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                   Urban area  (constituent
     CBSA code       Wage index       counties or county       MSA code
                         \1\           equivalents) \2\
------------------------------------------------------------------------
48864..............  ..........  Wilmington, DE-MD-NJ.
                         1.1757   Cecil, MD *...............        9160
                                  New Castle, DE *..........        9160
                         1.1600   Salem, NJ *...............        6160
------------------------------------------------------------------------

IV. Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking

    We ordinarily publish a notice of proposed rulemaking in the 
Federal Register to provide a period for public comment before the 
provisions of a rule take effect in accordance with section 553(b) of 
the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) (5 U.S.C. 553(b)). However, we 
can waive this notice and comment procedure if the Secretary finds, for 
good cause, that the notice and comment process is impracticable, 
unnecessary, or contrary to the public interest, and incorporate a 
statement of the finding and the reasons therefore in the notice.
    The revisions contained in this rule, correct formatting and 
typographical errors in various sections of a table. These corrections 
are necessary to ensure that the final rule accurately reflects the 
correct wage index value used to calculate payment to hospices. Since 
they are not substantive and merely technical, we find that public 
comments on these revisions are both unnecessary and impracticable. 
Therefore, we find good cause to waive notice and comment procedures.
    In addition, the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) normally 
requires a 30-day delay in the effective date of a final rule. Since 
this notice simply makes technical modifications to a final rule that 
has previously gone through notice-and-comment rulemaking and the 
corrections are only to formatting errors, we believe good cause also 
exists under the APA to waive the 30-day delay in the effective date. 
Thus, this notice is effective October 1, 2005.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program No. 93.773, 
Medicare--Hospital Insurance; and Program No. 93.774, Medicare--
Supplementary Medical Insurance Program)

    Dated: September 27, 2005.
Ann C. Agnew,
Executive Secretary to the Department.
[FR Doc. 05-19609 Filed 9-29-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-01-P