2024-27740. Medicare Program; Public Meeting for Air Ambulance Quality & Patient Safety Advisory Committee-December 12, 2024, February 18, 2025, and May 8, 2025

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Department of Health and Human Services

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

1. [CMS-3471-N]

AGENCY:

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

ACTION:

Notice of meeting.

SUMMARY:

This notice announces virtual public meetings of the Air Ambulance Quality and Patient Safety (AAQPS) Advisory Committee. The AAQPS Advisory Committee will review options to establish quality, patient safety, and clinical capability standards for each clinical capability level of air ambulances.

DATES:

Virtual Meeting Dates: The AAQPS Advisory Committee will hold virtual meetings on December 12, 2024, February 18, 2025, and May 8, 2025, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time (E.T.).

Deadline for Submitting Requests for Special Accommodations: Requests for special accommodations must be received at least 2 weeks before each meeting.

Registration Link: The virtual meetings will be open to the public and held via the Zoom webinar platform. Virtual attendance information will be provided upon registration. To register for the virtual meeting, please visit: https://www.cms.gov/​medicare/​regulations-guidance/​advisory-committees/​advisory-committee-air-ambulance-quality-and-patient-safety. Attendance is open to the public subject to any technical or capacity limitations.

Deadline for Registration: All individuals who plan to attend the virtual public meeting must register to attend. Request to provide oral comments are due at least fourteen (14) calendar days prior to the meeting date. Interested parties are encouraged to register as far in advance of the meeting as possible.

A detailed agenda and materials will be available prior to the meeting on the AAQPS Advisory Committee website at: https://www.cms.gov/​medicare/​regulations-guidance/​advisory-committees/​advisory-committee-air-ambulance-quality-and-patient-safety.

A recording and a summary of the meeting will be made available on the AAQPS Advisory Committee website approximately 45 calendar days after the meeting.

ADDRESSES:

Virtual Meeting Location: All meetings are open to the public and instructions to view will be posted on the AAQPS Advisory Committee website, and upon registration. If you wish to provide oral comments during the meetings you must complete a registration form on the AAQPS Advisory Committee website at: https://www.cms.gov/​medicare/​regulations-guidance/​advisory-committees/​advisory-committee-air-ambulance-quality-and-patient-safety, and submit a written copy of your remarks to [e-mail].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Ashley Spence, CMS, at [phone] or via email at [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

The Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Secretary of Transportation established the Air Ambulance Quality and Patient Safety (AAQPS) Advisory Committee on August 22, 2023, in response to section 106 of the No Surprises Act, enacted as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, div. BB, tit. I, Public Law 116-260 (December 27, 2020). The AAQPS Advisory Committee will be tasked with reviewing options to establish quality, patient safety, and clinical capability standards for each clinical capability level of air ambulances.

The AAQPS Advisory Committee is governed by the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), Public Law 92-463 (Oct. 6, 1972), as amended by 5 U.S.C. app. 2.

II. Advisory Committee Membership Roster

On June 2, 2023, HHS published an Invitation for Member Nominations in the Federal Register for the AAQPS Advisory Committee (88 FR 37253). This notice also announces the members of the AAQPS Advisory Committee.

• Jeff Richey—HHS Secretary's Designee/Representative.
• Robert Reckert—DoT Secretary's Designee/Representative.
• Ben Clayton—DoT Representative.
• Colonel Steven L. Coffee—Patient Advocate.
• Dr. Jordan Pritzker—Group Health Plans and Health Insurance Issuers.
• Dr. Mark Gamber—HHS Representative.
• Dr. William Hinckley—Healthcare Provider.
• Eileen Frazer—Accrediting bodies.
• Grace Arnold—State Insurance Regulator.
• Jason Clark—HHS Representative.
• Jason Quisling—DoT Representative.
• Jeff Houser—DoT Representative.
• Paul Julander—DoT Representative.
• Thomas Judge—DoT Representative.

III. Summary of the Agenda

During the December 12, 2024, February 18, 2025, and May 8, 2025 meetings, the AAQPS Advisory Committee will review options to establish quality, patient safety, and clinical capability standards for each clinical capability level of air ambulances. A more detailed agenda and meeting materials will be made available 3 days before the meetings on the AAQPS Advisory Committee website at https://www.cms.gov/​medicare/​regulations-guidance/​advisory-committees/​advisory-committee-air-ambulance-quality-and-patient-safety.

IV. Public Participation

The meetings will be open to the public for virtual attendance on a first-come, first-served basis, as there may be capacity or technical limitations. Please see the ADDRESSES section to view the meeting link.

The Department is committed to providing equal access to this meeting for all participants. If you need alternative formats or services because of a disability, such as sign language interpreter, please contact the person listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section no later than 2 weeks before each meeting.

The Department will accept oral comments, which must be limited to the objectives of the committee and limited to three (3) minutes per person. Individual members of the public who wish to present oral comments must register and provide a written copy of prepared remarks for inclusion in the meeting records and for circulation to ( print page 93609) AAQPS Advisory Committee members. All prepared remarks submitted on time will be considered as part of the meeting's record.

V. Submitting Written Comments

Members of the public may submit written comments for consideration by the Committee at any time via email to [e-mail]. Additionally, members of the public will have the opportunity to submit comments during the December 12, 2024, February 18, 2025, and May 8, 2025, virtual meetings through the chat feature of the Zoom webinar platform. Members of the public are encouraged to submit lengthy written comments (more than three sentences) to the email address above. Advance submissions that become part of the committee deliberations will become part of the official record of the meeting.

The Administrator of CMS, Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, having reviewed and approved this document, authorizes Vanessa Garcia, who is the Federal Register Liaison, to electronically sign this document for purposes of publication in the Federal Register .

Vanessa Garcia,

Federal Register Liaison, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.