[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 7 (Tuesday, January 12, 1999)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 1784-1785]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-641]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Health Care Financing Administration
Office of the Inspector General
42 CFR Parts 409, 410, 411, 412, 413, 419, 489, 498, and 1003
[HCFA-1005-2N]
RIN 0938-AI56
Medicare Program; Prospective Payment System for Hospital
Outpatient Services; Extension of Comment Period
AGENCY: Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA), HHS.
ACTION: Notice of extension of comment period for proposed rule.
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SUMMARY: This document extends the comment period for the second time
on a proposed rule published in the Federal Register on September 8,
1998, (63 FR 47552). In that rule, as required by sections 4521, 4522,
and 4523 of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, we proposed to eliminate
the formula-driven overpayment for certain outpatient hospital
services, extend reductions in payment for costs of hospital outpatient
services, and establish in regulations a prospective payment system for
hospital outpatient services (and for Medicare Part B services
furnished to inpatients who have no Part A coverage.) The comment
period is extended for 60 days.
DATES: The comment period is extended to 5 p.m. on March 9, 1999.
ADDRESSES: Mail written comments (one original and three copies) to the
following address: Health Care Financing Administration, Department of
Health and Human Services, Attention: HCFA-1005-P, P.O. Box 26688,
Baltimore, MD 21207-0488.
If you prefer, you may deliver your written comments (one original
and three copies) to one of the following addresses: Room 443-G, Hubert
H. Humphrey Building, 200 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC
20201, or Room C5-09-26, Central Building, 7500 Security Boulevard,
Baltimore, MD 21244-1850.
Because of staffing and resource limitations, we cannot accept
comments by facsimile (FAX) transmission. In commenting, please refer
to file code HCFA-1005-P. Comments received timely will be available
for public inspection as they are received, generally beginning
approximately 3 weeks after publication of a document, in Room 443-G of
the Department's offices at 200 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington,
DC, on Monday through Friday of each week from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
(phone: (202) 690-7890).
For comments that relate to information collection requirements,
mail a copy of comments to: Office of Information and Regulatory
Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, Room 10235, New Executive
Office Building, Washington, DC 20503, Attn: Allison Herron Eydt, HCFA
Desk Officer.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Janet Wellham, (410) 786-4510.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On September 8, 1998, we issued a proposed
rule in the Federal Register (63 FR 47552) that would do the following:
Eliminate the formula-driven overpayment for certain
outpatient hospital services;
Extend reductions in payment for costs of hospital
outpatient services;
Establish in regulations a prospective payment system for
hospital outpatient services, for partial hospitalization services
furnished by community mental health centers, and for certain Medicare
Part B services furnished to inpatients who have no Part A coverage;
Propose new requirements for provider departments and
provider-based entities;
Implement section 9343(c) of the Omnibus Budget
Reconciliation Act of 1986, which prohibits Medicare payment for
nonphysician services furnished to a hospital outpatient by a provider
or supplier other than a hospital unless the services are furnished
under an arrangement with the hospital;
Authorize the Department of Health and Human Services'
Office of Inspector General to impose a civil money penalty against any
individual or entity who knowingly presents a bill for non-physician or
other bundled services not provided directly or under such an
arrangement.
The comment period for the proposed rule closed on November 9,
1998. Because of the scope of the proposed rule, hospitals and numerous
professional associations requested more time to analyze the potential
consequences of the rule. Therefore, we published a notice on November
13, 1998 (63 FR 63429), which extended the comment period until January
8, 1999. Because of further requests from hospitals and professional
associations, we are again extending the public comment period for an
additional 60 days, until March 9, 1999.
[[Page 1785]]
Published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register is a
document extending for an additional 60 days, the comment period for
the proposed rule published in the June 12, 1998, Federal Register in
which we propose to rebase Medicare payment rates and update the list
of approved procedures for ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs) (63 FR
32290). We are extending the comment period for the June 12, 1998, ASC
proposed rule to be concurrent with the extended comment period for the
September 8, 1998, hospital outpatient proposed rule because Medicare
payments to ASCs are closely linked to the manner in which Medicare
proposes to pay hospitals under a prospective payment system for
surgical services furnished on an outpatient basis.
Authority: Secs. 1102 and 1871 of the Social Security Act (42
U.S.C. 1302 and 1395hh).
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program No. 93.774,
Medicare--Supplementary Medical Insurance Program)
Dated: January 4, 1999.
Nancy-Ann Min DeParle,
Administrator, Health Care Financing Administration.
Dated: January 6, 1999.
Donna E. Shalala,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 99-641 Filed 1-8-99; 9:17 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-01-P
