Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 202 / Friday, October 20, 2017 / Notices 48817 

Evaluation criteria for review of the 

application will be comprised of three 

principal areas: 

a. Program information which 

includes current organizational 

capabilities and operations. 

b. Program planning and evaluation 

which includes identification of 

measurable goals, products, personnel 

and workplanning. 

c. Program reporting which includes 

organizational capabilities and 

qualifications and categorical budget 

and justification. 

Authority: Section 1110 of the Social 

Security Act, codified at 42 U.S.C. Sec. 1310 

Dated: September 15, 2017. 

Derrick Heard, 

Chief Grants Management Officer, Office of 

Acquisition and Grants Management, Centers 

for Medicare & Medicaid Services. 

[FR Doc. 2017–22811 Filed 10–19–17; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4120–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 

Services 

[CMS–3349–PN] 

Medicare and Medicaid Programs; 

Application by Community Health 

Accreditation Partner for Continued 

CMS Approval of Its Home Health 

Agency Accreditation Program 

AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & 

Medicaid Services (CMS), HHS. 

ACTION: Proposed notice. 

SUMMARY: This proposed notice 

acknowledges the receipt of an 

application from the Community Health 

Accreditation Partner (CHAP) for 

continued recognition as a national 

accrediting organization for home health 

agencies (HHAs) that wish to participate 

in the Medicare or Medicaid programs. 

The statute requires that within 60 days 

of receipt of an organization’s complete 

application, the Centers for Medicare & 

Medicaid Services (CMS) 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 November 20, 2017. 

ADDRESSES: In commenting, please refer 

to file code CMS–3349–PN. 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–3349–PN, P.O. Box 8016, 

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 to the 

following address ONLY: Centers for 

Medicare & Medicaid Services, 

Department of Health and Human 

Services, Attention: CMS–3349–PN, 

Mail Stop C4–26–05, 7500 Security 

Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21244–1850. 

4. By hand or courier. If you prefer, 

you may deliver (by hand or courier) 

your written comments before the close 

of the comment period to either of 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, 

please call telephone number (410) 786– 

7195 in advance to schedule your 

arrival with one of our staff members. 

Comments mailed to the addresses 

indicated as appropriate for hand or 

courier delivery may be delayed and 

received after the comment period. 

For information on viewing public 

comments, see the beginning of the 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Lillian Williams, (410) 786–8636. 

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 from a home health agency 

(HHA) provided certain requirements 

are met. Sections 1861(m) and (o), 1891 

and 1895 of the Social Security Act (the 

Act) establish distinct criteria for 

entities seeking designation as an HHA. 

Regulations concerning provider 

agreements are at 42 CFR part 489 and 

those pertaining to activities relating to 

the survey and certification of facilities 

and other entities are at 42 CFR part 

488. The regulations at 42 CFR parts 409 

and 484 specify the conditions that an 

HHA must meet to participate in the 

Medicare program, the scope of covered 

services and the conditions for Medicare 

payment for home health care. 

Generally, to enter into a provider 

agreement with the Medicare program, 

an HHA must first be certified by a state 

survey agency as complying with the 

conditions or requirements set forth in 

42 CFR part 484 of our regulations. 

Thereafter, the HHA is subject to regular 

surveys by a state survey agency to 

determine whether it continues to meet 

these requirements. 

However, there is an alternative to 

surveys by state agencies. 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 


srobinson on DSKBC5CHB2PROD with NOTICES
48818 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 202 / Friday, October 20, 2017 / Notices 

accrediting organization is voluntary 

and is not required for Medicare 

participation. 

If an accrediting organization is 

recognized by the Secretary of Health 

and Human Services as having 

standards for accreditation that meet or 

exceed 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 

CMS approval of their accreditation 

program under 42 CFR 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 approval of accrediting 

organizations are set forth at § 488.5. 

The regulations at § 488.5(e)(2)(i) 

require accrediting organizations to 

reapply for continued approval of its 

accreditation program every 6 years or 

sooner as determined by CMS. 

The Community Health Accreditation 

Partner’s (CHAP’S) term of approval for 

their HHA accreditation program 

expires March 31, 2018. 

II. Approval of Accreditation 

Organizations 

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

regulations at § 488.5 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 CHAP’s 

request for continued approval for its 

HHA accreditation program. This notice 

also solicits public comment on whether 

CHAP’s requirements meet or exceed 

the Medicare conditions for 

participation (CoPs) for HHAs. 

III. Evaluation of Accreditation 

Organization Request 

CHAP submitted all the necessary 

materials to enable us to make a 

determination concerning its request for 

continued approval of its HHA 

accreditation program. This application 

was determined to be complete on 

August 25, 2017. Under section 

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

at § 488.5 (Application and reapplication procedures for national 

accrediting organizations), our review 

and evaluation of CHAP will be 

conducted in accordance with, but not 

necessarily limited to, the following 

factors: 

• The equivalency of CHAP’s 

standards for HHAs as compared with 

CMS’ HHA CoPs. 

• CHAP’s survey process to 

determine the following: 

++ The composition of the survey 

team, surveyor qualifications, and the 

ability of the organization to provide 

continuing surveyor training. 

++ The comparability of CHAP’s 

processes to those of state agencies, 

including survey frequency, and the 

ability to investigate and respond 

appropriately to complaints against 

accredited HHAs. 

++ CHAP’s processes and procedures 

for monitoring HHAs found out of 

compliance with CHAP’s program 

requirements. These monitoring 

procedures are used only when CHAP 

identifies noncompliance. If 

noncompliance is identified through 

validation reviews or complaint 

surveys, the state survey agency 

monitors corrections as specified at 

§ 488.9(c). 

++ CHAP’s capacity to report 

deficiencies to the surveyed HHAs and 

respond to the HHA’s plan of correction 

in a timely manner. 

++ CHAP’s capacity to provide us 

with electronic data, and reports 

necessary for effective validation and 

assessment of the organization’s survey 

process. 

++ The adequacy of CHAP’s staff and 

other resources, and its financial 

viability. 

++ CHAP’s capacity to adequately 

fund required surveys. 

++ CHAP’s policies with respect to 

whether surveys are announced or 

unannounced, to assure that surveys are 

unannounced. 

++ CHAP’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 thirdparty disclosure requirements. 

Consequently, there is no need for 

review by the Office Management and 

Budget under the authority of the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1955 (44 

U.S.C. Chapter 35). 

V. Response to 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 notice, and, we will respond to the 

comments in the preamble to that 

document. 

Dated: October 6, 2017. 

Seema Verma, 

Administrator, Centers for Medicare & 

Medicaid Services. 

[FR Doc. 2017–22812 Filed 10–19–17; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4120–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Administration for Children and 

Families 

Proposed Information Collection 

Activity; Comment Request 

Title: Prenatal Alcohol and Other 

Drug Exposures in Child Welfare 

(PAODE–CW) Study. 

OMB No.: New Collection. 

Description: The Administration for 

Children and Families (ACF), U.S. 

Department of Health and Human 

Services (HHS) is proposing a data 

collection activity as part of the Prenatal 

Alcohol and Other Drug Exposures in 

Child Welfare (PAODE–CW) Study. The 

study examines the current state of 

child welfare practice regarding the 

identification and provision of services 

for children with prenatal substance 

exposures, including alcohol and other 

drugs. 

The descriptive study will document 

the policies and practices of child 

welfare agencies and related 

organizations to identify, assess, and 

refer to services children who may have 

been exposed to prenatal substances 

and/or diagnosed with a resulting 

condition such as fetal alcohol spectrum 

disorders (FASD). The study will 


srobinson on DSKBC5CHB2PROD with NOTICES