64838 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 241 / Friday, December 14, 2001 / Notices

Respondents Number of

respondents

Number of

responses/

respondent

Average

burden/

response (in

hours)

Total burden

(in hours)

Reoccurring tween panel(s) ............................................................................................. 10 4 2 80

Parents ............................................................................................................................. 2,500 1 15/60 625

Reoccurring parent panel(s) ............................................................................................ 20 4 2 160

Adult influencers .............................................................................................................. 1,000 1 15/60 250

Older teen influencers ..................................................................................................... 500 1 15/60 125

Total .......................................................................................................................... .................... .................... .................... 2,490

Dated: December 6, 2001.

Nancy E. Cheal,

Acting Associate Director for Policy, Planning

and Evaluation, Centers for Disease Control

and Prevention.

[FR Doc. 01–30862 Filed 12–13–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4163–18–P

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND

HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid

Services

[HCFA–1191–N]

Medicare Program; Meeting of the

Advisory Panel on Ambulatory

Payment Classification Groups

AGENCY: Centers for Medicare &

Medicaid Services (CMS), HHS.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

SUMMARY: In accordance with section

10(a) of the Federal Advisory Committee

Act (5 U.S.C. App. 2), this notice

announces the second annual meeting

of the Advisory Panel on Ambulatory

Payment Classification Groups. The

purpose of this panel is to review the

ambulatory payment classification

(APC) groups and provide technical

advice to the Secretary of the

Department of Health and Human

Services (the Secretary) and the

Administrator of the Centers for

Medicare & Medicaid Services (the

Administrator) concerning the clinical

integrity of the APC groups and their

associated weights. This meeting is

taking place at this time because the

technical advice of the panel will be

considered as CMS prepares its annual

Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that will

propose changes to the Outpatient

Prospective Payment System (OPPS)

that will be published in the spring of

2002. The next meeting of the panel will

be in early calendar year 2003.

DATES: The meeting is scheduled for

Tuesday, January 22, Wednesday,

January 23, and Thursday, January 24,

2002 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. e.s.t.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held in

the Multipurpose Room at the CMS

Central Office, 7500 Security Boulevard,

Baltimore, MD 21244.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Angela Mason (410) 786–7452 or Valerie

Barton (410) 786–2803. Please refer to

the CMS Advisory Committees

Information Line (1–877–449–5659 toll

free)/(410–786–9379 local), or the

Internet at http://www.hcfa.gov/fac/

apcpage.htm for additional information

and updates on committee activities.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

Secretary is required by section

1833(t)(9)(A) of the Social Security Act

(the Act), as added by section

201(h)(1)(B) and redesignated by section

202(a)(2) of the Balanced Budget

Refinement Act of 1999, to consult with

an APC advisory panel. The panel will

meet once annually to review the APC

groups and provide technical advice to

the Secretary and the Administrator of

CMS concerning the clinical integrity of

the groups and their associated weights.

The technical advice provided by the

panel at its annual meeting will be

considered as CMS prepares the annual

Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that will

propose changes to the OPPS for the

next calendar year.

The panel consists of 15

representatives of Medicare providers

that are subject to the OPPS. The

members were selected by the

Administrator of CMS based upon either

self-nominations or nominations

submitted by providers or organizations.

The current members of the panel are:

Michelle Burke, R.N.; Leslie Jane

Collins, R.N.; Geneva Craig, R.N.; Lora

A. DeWald, M.Ed; Gretchen M. Evans,

R.N.; Robert E. Henkin, M.D.; Lee H.

Hilborne, M.D.; Stephen T. House, M.D.;

Kathleen P. Kinslow, CRNA, Ed.D; Mike

Metro, R.N.; Gerald V. Naccarelli, M.D.;

Beverly K. Philip, M.D.; Karen L.

Rutledge, B.S.; William A. Van Decker,

M.D.; and Paul E. Wallner, D.O. The

panel Chairperson is Paul M. Rudolf,

M.D., J.D., a CMS medical officer.

The agenda will provide for

discussion and comment on the

following topics:

• Reconfiguration of APCs, such as

splitting of an APC and moving CPT

codes from one APC to another.

• Consideration of the effects of using

single versus multiple claims in setting

relative weights.

• Consideration of guidelines for

hospital billing of clinic visits and

evaluation and management visits.

• Other technical issues concerning

APC structure.

The panel will not be discussing the

incorporation of the estimated cost of

the pass-through devices into the base

APC rates at this meeting.

For more detailed information on the

agenda topics see our web site at

http://www.hcfa.gov/fac/apcpage.htm.

Comments relating to this meeting

must be received no later than 5 p.m. on

Tuesday, January 8, 2002. Send

comments to the following address:

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid

Services, Department of Health and

Human Services, Attn: Valerie Barton,

Mail Stop C4–05–17, 7500 Security

Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21244–1850.

Comments may also be sent via

electronic mail to

outpatientpps@cms.hhs.gov. Because of

staffing and resource limitations, we

cannot accept comments by facsimile

(FAX) transmission and cannot

acknowledge or respond individually to

comments we receive. Comments that

are included in the agenda topics will

be addressed in the proposed rule that

will be published in the spring of 2002.

The meeting is open to the public, but

attendance is limited to the space

available. Individuals or organizations

wishing to make oral presentations on

the agenda items must submit a copy of

the presentation and the name, address

and telephone number of the proposed

presenter. In addition, all presentations

must contain, at a minimum, the

following supporting information and

data:

• Financial relationship(s), if any,

with any company whose products,

services, or procedures are under

consideration;

• CPT codes involved;

• APC(s) affected;

• Description of the issue;

Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 241 / Friday, December 14, 2001 / Notices 64839

• Clinical description of the service

under discussion, with comparison to

other services within the APC;

• Description of the resource inputs

associated with the service under

discussion, with a comparison to other

services within the APC;

• Recommendations and rationale for

change; and

• Expected outcome of change and

potential consequences of no change.

Further details can be found on our

web site at http://www.hcfa.gov/fac/

apcpage.htm. Presentations submitted

without the required data and

information will not be considered.

In order to be scheduled to speak, this

information must be received no later

than 5 p.m., Tuesday, January 8, 2002 at

the above address. Alternatively, the

information may be sent electronically

to the email address specified above.

Because of staffing and resource

limitations, we cannot accept this

information by facsimile (FAX).

Presentations are limited to no more

than 5 minutes and must be on the

listed agenda topics only. The number

of presentations may be limited by the

time available.

In addition to formal presentations,

there will be an opportunity during the

meeting for public comment, limited to

1 minute for each individual or

organization. The number of speakers

may be limited by the time available.

Any persons wishing to attend this

meeting located on Federal property

must call the meeting coordinator,

Angela Mason, at (410) 786–7452 to

register at least 72 hours in advance.

Persons attending must show a

photographic identification to the

Federal Protective Service or Guard

Service personnel before they will be

allowed to enter the building. Persons

not registered in advance will not be

permitted into the building and will not

be permitted to attend the meeting.

News media representatives should

contact the CMS Press Office at (202)

690–6145.

Individuals requiring sign language

interpretation for the hearing impaired

or other special accommodations should

contact the meeting coordinator at least

10 days before the meeting.

Authority: Section 1833 of the Social

Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395l) and section

10(a) of Public Law 92–463 (5 U.S.C. App. 2,

section 10(a)); 45 CFR part 11)

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

Program No. 93.773, Medicare-Hospital

Insurance; and Program No. 93.774,

Medicare-Supplementary Medical Insurance

Program)

Dated: December 11, 2001.

Thomas A. Scully,

Administrator, Centers for Medicare &

Medicaid Services.

[FR Doc. 01–30990 Filed 12–13–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4120–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND

HUMAN SERVICES

Centers For Medicare & Medicaid

Services

[CMS–4031–N]

Medicare Program; Open Public

Meeting on January 16, 2002 to

Discuss Activities Related to the

Collection of Diagnostic Data from

Medicare+Choice Organizations for

Risk Adjustment

AGENCY: Centers for Medicare &

Medicaid Services (CMS), Health and

Human Services.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

SUMMARY: This notice announces a

public meeting to provide

Medicare+Choice Organizations

(M+COs), providers, practitioners, and

other interested parties an opportunity

to ask questions and raise issues

regarding the risk adjustment model that

will be selected for use beginning in

2004 and reporting requirements for

diagnostic information. The purpose of

the meeting is to provide information

about risk adjustment model options

and associated data collection issues

and to allow for public comment

regarding the models and data

collection.

DATES: The meeting is scheduled for

January 16, 2002 from 9 a.m. until 4

p.m., EST.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held in

the CMS Auditorium, 7500 Security

Boulevard, Baltimore, Maryland, 21244–

1850.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Bobbie Knickman at (410) 786–4161. To

submit public comment no later than

February 1, 2002, email: Bobbie

Knickman at bknickman@cms.hhs.gov

or fax to (410) 786–1048.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

The Balanced Budget Act of 1997

(BBA) (Public Law 105–33) established

the Medicare+Choice program that

significantly expanded the health care

options available to Medicare

beneficiaries. Under the BBA, the

Secretary of the Department of Health

and Human Services (the Secretary)

must implement a risk adjustment

methodology that accounts for

variations in per capita costs based on

health status and other demographic

factors for payment to Medicare+Choice

organizations (M+COs). The BBA also

gives the Secretary the authority to

collect inpatient hospital data for

discharges on or after July 1, 1997, and

additional data for other services

occurring on or after July 1, 1998. Risk

adjustment implementation began

January 1, 2000. Payments to M+COs are

made at 10 percent risk adjusted rates

and 90 percent demographically

adjusted rates for years 2000 through

2003. The Medicare, Medicaid, and

SCHIP Benefits Improvement and

Protection Act (BIPA), enacted in

December 2000, stipulates that the risk

adjustment methodology for 2004 and

succeeding years should be based on

data from inpatient hospital and

ambulatory settings. BIPA contains a

provision that phases in future risk

adjusted payments as follows: 30

percent in 2004; 50 percent in 2005; 75

percent in 2006; and 100 percent in

2007. The collection of physician

encounter data, which began on October

1, 2000, and hospital outpatient

encounter data, which began on April 1,

2001, was suspended on May 25, 2001

through July 1, 2002. The Secretary

indicated that we will be working

closely with all interested parties to

explore and implement a risk

adjustment process for M+C payments

that balances accuracy with

administrative burden. The meeting will

address the following topics:

• Risk adjustment models

incorporating ambulatory and inpatient

diagnoses;

• Collection/reporting of beneficiary

and diagnostic information for

Medicare+Choice enrollees in hospital

inpatient, outpatient, and physician

settings for use in risk adjustment

models; and

• Data issues.

The agenda will include presentations

by our staff and a question and answer

sessions. Written public comments are

preferred following the meeting and will

be accepted until February 1, 2002.

Registration

Registration for this public meeting is

required and will be on a first-come,

first-serve basis, limited to two

attendees per organization. A waiting

list will be available for additional

requests. The registration deadline will

be January 11, 2002 at 5:00 pm. EST.

Registration will be done via the

Internet at http://www.hcfa.gov/events/

events.htm. A confirmation notice will

be sent to attendees upon finalization of

registration.