[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 90 (Tuesday, May 11, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25351-25359]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-11754]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Health Care Financing Administration
[HCFA-9000-N]
RIN 0938-AJ37
Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Quarterly Listing of Program
Issuances--Third Quarter, 1998
AGENCY: Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA), HHS.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: This notice lists HCFA manual instructions, substantive and
interpretive regulations, and other Federal Register notices that were
published during July, August, and September of 1998, relating to the
Medicare and Medicaid programs. This notice also identifies certain
devices with investigational device exemption numbers approved by the
Food and Drug Administration that potentially may be covered under
Medicare.
Section 1871(c) of the Social Security Act requires that we publish
a list of Medicare issuances in the Federal Register at least every 3
months. Although we are not mandated to do so by statute, for the sake
of completeness of the listing, we are also including all Medicaid
issuances and Medicare and Medicaid substantive and interpretive
regulations (proposed and final) published during this timeframe.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: It is possible that an interested
party may have a specific information need and not be able to determine
from the listed information whether the issuance or regulation would
fulfill that need. Consequently, we are providing information contact
persons to answer general questions concerning these
[[Page 25352]]
items. Copies are not available through the contact persons.
Questions concerning Medicare items in Addendum III may be
addressed to Bridget Wilhite, Office of Communications and Operations
Support, Division of Regulations and Issuances, Health Care Financing
Administration, (410) 786-5248.
Questions concerning Medicaid items in Addendum III may be
addressed to Betty Stanton, Center for Medicaid State Operations,
Policy Coordination and Planning Group, Health Care Financing
Administration, S2-26-13, 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21244-
1850, (410) 786-3247.
Questions concerning Food and Drug Administration-approved
investigational device exemptions may be addressed to Sharon Hippler,
Office of Clinical Standards and Quality, Coverage and Analysis Group,
Health Care Financing Administration, C4-11-04, 7500 Security
Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21244-1850, (410) 786-4633.
Questions concerning all other information may be addressed to
Kristy Nishimoto, Office of Communications and Operations Support,
Division of Regulations and Issuances, Health Care Financing
Administration, C5-16-03, 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21244-
1850, (410) 786-8517.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Program Issuances
The Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) is responsible for
administering the Medicare and Medicaid programs. These programs pay
for health care and related services for 39 million Medicare
beneficiaries and 35 million Medicaid recipients. Administration of
these programs involves (1) Furnishing information to Medicare
beneficiaries and Medicaid recipients, health care providers, and the
public and (2) effective communications with regional offices, State
governments, State Medicaid Agencies, State Survey Agencies, various
providers of health care, fiscal intermediaries and carriers that
process claims and pay bills, and others. To implement the various
statutes on which the programs are based, we issue regulations under
the authority granted to the Secretary of the Department of Health and
Human Services under sections 1102, 1871, 1902, and related provisions
of the Social Security Act (the Act). We also issue various manuals,
memoranda, and statements necessary to administer the programs
efficiently.
Section 1871(c)(1) of the Act requires that we publish a list of
all Medicare manual instructions, interpretive rules, and guidelines of
general applicability not issued as regulations at least every 3 months
in the Federal Register. We published our first notice June 9, 1988 (53
FR 21730). Although we are not mandated to do so by statute, for the
sake of completeness of the listing of operational and policy
statements, we are continuing our practice of including Medicare
substantive and interpretive regulations (proposed and final) published
during the 3-month time frame.
II. How To Use the Addenda
This notice is organized so that a reader may review the subjects
of all manual issuances, memoranda, substantive and interpretive
regulations, or Food and Drug Administration-approved investigational
device exemptions published during the timeframe to determine whether
any are of particular interest. We expect it to be used in concert with
previously published notices. Those unfamiliar with a description of
our Medicare manuals may wish to review Table I of our first three
notices (53 FR 21730, 53 FR 36891, and 53 FR 50577) published in 1988,
and the notice published March 31, 1993 (58 FR 16837). Those desiring
information on the Medicare Coverage Issues Manual may wish to review
the August 21, 1989 publication (54 FR 34555).
To aid the reader, we have organized and divided this current
listing into five addenda:
Addendum I lists the publication dates of the most recent
quarterly listings of program issuances.
Addendum II identifies previous Federal Register documents
that contain a description of all previously published HCFA Medicare
and Medicaid manuals and memoranda.
Addendum III lists a unique HCFA transmittal number for
each instruction in our manuals or Program Memoranda and its subject
matter. A transmittal may consist of a single instruction or many.
Often, it is necessary to use information in a transmittal in
conjunction with information currently in the manuals.
Addendum IV lists all substantive and interpretive
Medicare and Medicaid regulations and general notices published in the
Federal Register during the quarter covered by this notice. For each
item we list the--
+ Date published;
+ Federal Register citation;
+ Parts of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) that have changed
(if applicable);
+ Agency file code number;
+ Title of the regulation;
+ Ending date of the comment period (if applicable); and
+ Effective date (if applicable).
Addendum V includes listings of the Food and Drug
Administration-approved investigational device exemption numbers that
have been approved or revised during the quarter covered by this
notice. On September 19, 1995, we published a final rule (60 FR 48417)
establishing in regulations at 42 CFR 405.201 et seq. that certain
devices with an investigational device exemption approved by the Food
and Drug Administration and certain services related to those devices
may be covered under Medicare. It is our practice to announce all
investigational device exemption categorizations, using the
investigational device exemption numbers the Food and Drug
Administration assigns. The listings are organized according to the
categories to which the device numbers are assigned (that is, Category
A or Category B, and identified by the investigational device exemption
number).
III. How To Obtain Listed Material
A. Manuals
Those wishing to subscribe to program manuals should contact either
the Government Printing Office (GPO) or the National Technical
Information Service (NTIS) at the following addresses:
Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, ATTN: New
Orders, PO Box 371954, Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7954, Telephone (202) 512-
1800, Fax number (202) 512-2250 (for credit card orders); or
National Technical Information Service, Department of Commerce, 5825
Port Royal Road, Springfield, VA 22161, Telephone (703) 487-4630.
In addition, individual manual transmittals and Program Memoranda
listed in this notice can be purchased from NTIS. Interested parties
should identify the transmittal(s) they want. GPO or NTIS can give
complete details on how to obtain the publications they sell.
Additionally, all manuals are available at the following Internet
address: http://www.hcfa.gov/pubforms/progman.htm.
B. Regulations and Notices
Regulations and notices are published in the daily Federal
Register. Interested individuals may purchase individual copies or
subscribe to the Federal Register by contacting the GPO at the address
given above. When ordering individual copies, it is necessary to cite
[[Page 25353]]
either the date of publication or the volume number and page number.
The Federal Register is also available on 24x microfiche and as an
online database through GPO Access. The online database is updated by 6
a.m. each day the Federal Register is published. The database includes
both text and graphics from Volume 59, Number 1 (January 2, 1994)
forward. Free public access is available on a Wide Area Information
Server (WAIS) through the Internet and via asynchronous dial-in.
Internet users can access the database by using the World Wide Web; the
Superintendent of Documents home page address is http://
www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/, by using local WAIS client software, or
by telnet to swais.access.gpo.gov, then log in as guest (no password
required). Dial-in users should use communications software and modem
to call (202) 512-1661; type swais, then log in as guest (no password
required).
C. Rulings
We publish rulings on an infrequent basis. Interested individuals
can obtain copies from the nearest HCFA Regional Office or review them
at the nearest regional depository library. We have, on occasion,
published rulings in the Federal Register. Rulings, beginning with
those released in 1995, are available online, through the HCFA Home
Page. The Internet address is http://www.hcfa.gov/regs/rulings.htm.
D. HCFA's Compact Disk-Read Only Memory (CD-ROM)
Our laws, regulations, and manuals are also available on CD-ROM and
may be purchased from GPO or NTIS on a subscription or single copy
basis. The Superintendent of Documents list ID is HCLRM, and the stock
number is 717-139-00000-3. The following material is on the CD-ROM
disk:
Titles XI, XVIII, and XIX of the Act.
HCFA-related regulations.
HCFA manuals and monthly revisions.
HCFA program memoranda.
The titles of the Compilation of the Social Security Laws are current
as of January 1, 1995. (Updated titles of the Social Security Laws are
available on the Internet at http://www.ssa.gov/OP__Home/ssact/comp-
toc.htm.) The remaining portions of CD-ROM are updated on a monthly
basis.
Because of complaints about the unreadability of the Appendices
(Interpretive Guidelines) in the State Operations Manual (SOM), as of
March 1995, we deleted these appendices from CD-ROM. We intend to re-
visit this issue in the near future and, with the aid of newer
technology, we may again be able to include the appendices on CD-ROM.
Any cost report forms incorporated in the manuals are included on
the CD-ROM disk as LOTUS files. LOTUS software is needed to view the
reports once the files have been copied to a personal computer disk.
IV. How To Review Listed Material
Transmittals or Program Memoranda can be reviewed at a local
Federal Depository Library (FDL). Under the FDL program, government
publications are sent to approximately 1,400 designated libraries
throughout the United States. Some FDLs may have arrangements to
transfer material to a local library not designated as an FDL. Contact
any library to locate the nearest FDL.
In addition, individuals may contact regional depository libraries
that receive and retain at least one copy of most Federal government
publications, either in printed or microfilm form, for use by the
general public. These libraries provide reference services and
interlibrary loans; however, they are not sales outlets. Individuals
may obtain information about the location of the nearest regional
depository library from any library. Superintendent of Documents
numbers for each HCFA publication are shown in Addendum III, along with
the HCFA publication and transmittal numbers.
To help FDLs locate the materials, use the Superintendent of
Documents number, plus the HCFA transmittal number. For example, to
find the Intermediary Manual, (HCFA Pub. 113-3) transmittal entitled
``Electronic Data Interchange Security, Privacy, Audit and Legal
Issues,'' use the Superintendent of Documents No. HE 22.8/6 and the
HCFA transmittal number 1748.
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program No. 93.773,
Medicare--Hospital Insurance, Program No. 93.774, Medicare--
Supplementary Medical Insurance Program, and Program No. 93.714,
Medical Assistance Program)
Dated: April 23, 1999.
Elizabeth Cusick,
Acting Director, Office of Communications and Operations Support.
Addendum I
This addendum lists the publication dates of the most recent
quarterly listings of program issuances.
November 21, 1997 (62 FR 62325)
June 4, 1998 (63 FR 30499)
August 11, 1998 (63 FR 42857)
September 16, 1998 (63 FR 49598)
December 9, 1998 (63 FR 67899)
Addendum II--Description of Manuals, Memoranda, and HCFA Rulings
An extensive descriptive listing of Medicare manuals and
memoranda was published on June 9, 1988, at 53 FR 21730 and
supplemented on September 22, 1988, at 53 FR 36891 and December 16,
1988, at 53 FR 50577. Also, a complete description of the Medicare
Coverage Issues Manual was published on August 21, 1989, at 54 FR
34555. A brief description of the various Medicaid manuals and
memoranda that we maintain was published on October 16, 1992, at 57
FR 47468.
Addendum III.--Medicare and Medicaid Manual Instructions
[July 1998 Through September 1998]
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Trans. No. Manual/Subject/Publication No.
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Intermediary Manual
Part 3--Claims Process
(HCFA Pub. 13-3)
(Superintendent of Documents No. HE 22.8/6)
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1748 