[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 21 (Tuesday, February 2, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5447-5448]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-01937]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

[CMS-3323-N]


Request for Information: Certification Frequency and Requirements 
for the Reporting of Quality Measures Under CMS Programs; Extension of 
Comment Period

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

ACTION: Request for information; extension of comment period.

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SUMMARY: This document extends the comment period for the December 31, 
2015 request for information entitled ``Request for Information: 
Certification Frequency and Requirements for the Reporting of Quality 
Measures Under CMS Programs'' (80 FR 81824) (referred to in this 
document as December 31 RFI). The comment period for the December 31 
RFI, which would have ended on February 1, 2016, is extended for 15 
days.

DATES: The comment period is extended to February 16, 2016. To be 
assured consideration, written or electronic comments on the December 
31 RFI must be received at one of the addresses provided below no later 
than February 16, 2016.

ADDRESSES: In commenting on the December 31 RFI, please refer either to 
file code CMS-3323-NC and comment as indicated in that document (80 FR 
81824) or file code CMS-3323-N and comment as provided in this 
document. Because of staff and resource limitations, we cannot accept 
comments by facsimile (FAX) transmission.
    You may submit comments in one of four ways (please choose only one 
of the ways listed):
    1. Electronically. You may submit electronic comments on this 
regulation to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the ``Submit a 
comment'' instructions.
    2. By regular mail. You may mail written comments to the following 
address ONLY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Department of 
Health and Human Services, Attention: CMS-3323-N, P.O. Box 8013, 
Baltimore, MD 21244-8013.
    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 to 
the following address ONLY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 
Department of Health and Human Services, Attention: CMS-3323-N, 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 ONLY to the following addresses:
    a. For delivery in Washington, DC--Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 
Services, Department of Health and Human Services, Room 445-G, Hubert 
H. Humphrey Building, 200 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 
20201.
    (Because access to the interior of the Hubert H. Humphrey 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.)
    b. For delivery in Baltimore, MD--Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 
Services, Department of Health and Human Services, 7500 Security 
Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21244-1850.
    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.
    Comments erroneously mailed to the addresses indicated as 
appropriate for hand or courier delivery may be delayed and received 
after the comment period.
    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

[[Page 5448]]

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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lisa Marie Gomez, (410) 786-1175.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On December 31, 2015, we published a request 
for information in the Federal Register (80 FR 81824) entitled, 
``Request for Information: Certification Frequency and Requirements for 
the Reporting of Quality Measures Under CMS Programs'' (referred to in 
this document as ``the December 31 RFI''). That request for information 
seek public comment regarding several items related to the 
certification of health information technology (IT), including 
electronic health records (EHR) products used for reporting to certain 
CMS quality reporting programs such as, but not limited to, the 
Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting (IQR) Program and the Physician 
Quality Reporting System (PQRS). In addition, it requested feedback on 
how often to require recertification, the number of clinical quality 
measures (CQMs) a certified Health IT Module should be required to 
certify to, and testing of certified Health IT Module(s).
    We have received inquiries from stakeholders regarding the 30-day 
comment period to submit comments regarding the December 31 RFI. The 
stakeholders stated that they need additional time to respond to the 
questions posed in the December 31 RFI. Since we requested the public's 
comments on several options, we believe that it is important to allow 
ample time for the public to prepare their comments. Therefore, we have 
decided to extend the comment period for an additional 15 days. This 
document announces the extension of the public comment period to 
February 16, 2016.

    Dated: January 28, 2016.
Andrew M. Slavitt,
Acting Administrator, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
[FR Doc. 2016-01937 Filed 2-1-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4120-01-P