[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 67 (Thursday, April 8, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17184-17185]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-8849]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Health Care Financing Administration
[HCFA-1071-N]
Medicare Program; April 23, 1999 Open Town Hall Meeting to
Discuss the Skilled Nursing Facility Prospective Payment System (SNF/
PPS) and Quality of Care in Nursing Facilities
AGENCY: Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA), HHS.
ACTION: Notice of meeting.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: This notice announces a Town Hall meeting to provide an
opportunity for nursing homes, beneficiary advocates, and other
interested parties to ask questions and raise issues regarding the
prospective payment system for skilled nursing facilities and the
quality of care in nursing facilities. The meeting represents one
aspect of the evolving process for making our payment, coverage, and
quality reviews more open and responsive to the public. The meeting
will address the following topics:
An update and future refinements to the skilled nursing
facility/prospective payment system including a discussion of
nontherapy ancillary services and consolidated billing.
Outpatient therapy caps and other Part B issues.
Skilled nursing facility coverage and medical review.
Nursing home enforcement and quality issues.
DATES: The meeting is scheduled for April 23, 1999 from 8:00 a.m. until
5:00 p.m., E.D.T.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held in the HCFA headquarters
auditorium, 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, Maryland, 21244.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jackie Gordon, (410) 786-4517, or
Martha Kuespert, (410) 786-4605.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
We are announcing a Town Hall meeting to provide an opportunity for
nursing homes, beneficiary advocates, and other interested parties to
ask questions and raise issues regarding the skilled nursing facility
(SNF) prospective payment system (PPS) and the quality of care in
nursing homes. On May 12, 1998, we published an interim final rule with
comment period to implement SNF PPS (63 FR 26252). Initially, we
provided a 60-day period for public comment. In response to requests
from the industry, we extended the comment period twice (see 63 FR
37498 (July 13, 1998) and 63 FR 65561 (November 27, 1998)). The comment
period for the SNF PPS interim final rule ended on December 28, 1998.
We are currently developing the final rule and we expect to publish it
soon. In developing the final rule, we are considering all public
comments properly submitted during the public comment period. We will
not accept any further comments on the interim final rule at this Town
Hall meeting; that is, this meeting does not mean we are extending the
public comment period.
In addition to the implementation of SNF PPS, we have embarked on
an ambitious program to improve the quality of care in all nursing
facilities. These two major initiatives have had wide-ranging effects
on nursing facilities. The public has raised questions about how we
propose to implement various aspects of these initiatives; how they
interrelate; and how, and to what extent, we currently anticipate
acting on current research and experience as a means of initiating
future improvements in our quality assurance and payment systems.
This Town Hall meeting provides a forum for addressing these
issues. We anticipate participation by nursing homes, nursing home
organizations, hospital organizations, professional medical and allied
health organizations, therapy and other nursing home supplier
organization groups, national nursing home advocacy organizations, the
press, and other members of the public with an interest in future SNF
PPS and quality of care nursing home issues.
We intend that the meeting will provide a forum for the
aforementioned groups to ask questions and raise issues about SNF PPS
and quality of care in nursing homes. We intend to discuss our research
efforts and the general direction that we are moving toward concerning
these topics.
The format of the meeting will include an overview of the SNF PPS
and quality of care topics. There will be a panel for each of the
following topics:
An update and future refinements to the skilled nursing
facility/prospective payment system including a discussion of
nontherapy ancillary services and consolidated billing.
Outpatient therapy caps and other Part B issues.
Skilled nursing facility coverage and medical review.
Nursing home enforcement and quality issues.
We will allow short (10-20 minutes) presentations by the public and our
staff on these topics. The meeting will conclude with a question-and-
answer session during which the public may raise issues related to the
topics discussed.
Individuals who wish to make a presentation or be panelists at the
meeting must contact Jackie Gordon at (410) 786-4517 or via e-mail at
JGordon2@hcfa.gov or Martha Kuespert at (410) 786-4605 or via e-mail
MKuespert@hcfa.gov no later than April 16, 1999. It is important that
parties wishing to participate at the meeting include the topic for the
panel on which they wish to participate. Also, because of time
constraints, only a limited number of parties will be able to make
presentations. We will notify participants who have been selected to
make a presentation. We will not assign presentation times until the
end of the public notice period established by this notice.
While the meeting is open to the public, attendance is limited to
space available. Individuals must register in advance as described
below.
Registration
The Office of Professional Relations will handle registration for
the meeting. Individuals may register by sending a fax to the attention
of Bernice Harper, Ph.D., at the Office of Professional Relations. At
the time of registration, please provide your name, address, telephone
number, and fax number.
Receipt of your fax will constitute confirmation of your
registration. You will be provided with meeting materials at the time
of the meeting.
For fax registration, the number is 202-401-7438.
If you have questions regarding registration please contact either
[[Page 17185]]
Bernice Harper, Ph.D., at 202-690-7899 or I. David Wolfson, J.D.,
R.Ph., at 410-786-4585.
We will accept written questions or other materials, either before
the meeting, or up to 14 days after the meeting. Written submissions
should be sent to: Health Care Financing Administration, ATTN: Jackie
Gordon, Room C5-06-25, 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, Maryland
21244-1850. You may contact Ms. Gordon at: Telephone Number: (410) 786-
4517, Fax Number (410) 786-0765, E-mail: JGordon2@hcfa.gov.
Authority: Section 1102 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.
1302).
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program No. 93.773
Medicare--Hospital Insurance Program; and No. 93.774, Medicare--
Supplementary Medical Insurance Program)
Dated: April 5, 1999.
Nancy-Ann Min DeParle,
Administrator, Health Care Financing Administration.
[FR Doc. 99-8849 Filed 4-7-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-01-P
