Medicare Program; Physician Performance Standard Rates of Increase for Fiscal Year 1994 and Physician Fee Schedule Update for Calendar Year 1994

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Care Financing Administration

[BPD-774-CN]

RIN 0938-AG25

Medicare Program; Physician Performance Standard Rates of

Increase for Fiscal Year 1994 and Physician Fee Schedule Update for

Calendar Year 1994

AGENCY: Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA), HHS.

ACTION: Correction of final notice with comment period.

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SUMMARY: This document corrects an error that occurred in the

calculation of the fiscal year 1994 Medicare volume performance

standard for surgical services and that appeared in the final notice

with comment period published in the Federal Register on December 2,

1993 (58 FR 63856) entitled ``Medicare Program; Physician Performance

Standard Rates of Increase for Fiscal Year 1994 and Physician Fee

Schedule Update for Calendar Year 1994.'' This notice also corrects a

typographical error in a date.

EFFECTIVE DATE: The performance standard rates of increase are

effective on October 1, 1993. The Medicare physician fee schedule

update is effective on January 1, 1994.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Louisa Buatti, (410) 966-5716.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Note: This notice corrects an error that occurred in the

calculation of the 1994 Medicare volume performance standard (MVPS)

for surgical services. The fiscal year (FY) 1994 MVPS is used in the

calculation of the calendar year (CY) 1996 Medicare physician fee

schedule update. While this notice announces the correct standard

rate of increase for surgical services for FY 1994, it has no impact

on current payment levels. The correct value will be used, however,

in the default calculation of the CY 1996 physician fee schedule

update for surgical services. This notice also corrects a

typographical error in a date.

In Federal Register Document [93-29361] beginning on page 63856, in

the issue of December 2, 1993, make the following corrections:

A. Page 63856

In the SUMMARY section, the second sentence is corrected to read

``The physician performance standard rates of increase for Federal FY

1994 are 9.1 percent for surgical services, 10.5 percent for primary

care services, 9.2 percent for other nonsurgical services, and 9.4

percent for all physicians' services.''

B. Page 63858, MVPS Table, in the First Column

In the column headed ``MVPS (percent),'' the entry for FY 1994

surgical services is corrected from ``8.6'' to read ``9.1.''

MVPS

------------------------------------------------------------------------

MVPS Actual Difference

Fiscal year (percent) (percent) (percent)

------------------------------------------------------------------------

FY 1994:.........................

Surgical....................... 9.1 ........... ...........

------------------------------------------------------------------------

C. Page 63860

In the second column, in the first paragraph beneath the table, in

the first sentence, the date is corrected to read ``January 1, 1992.''

D. Page 63863

In the section designated III.B., the first paragraph is corrected

to read ``Under the requirements in section 1848(f)(2)(A) and (B) of

the Act, we have determined that the performance standard rates of

increase for physicians' services for FY 1994 are 9.1 percent for

surgical services, 10.5 percent for primary care services, 9.2 percent

for other nonsurgical services, and 9.4 percent for all physicians'

services.''

E. Page 63864, Table at the Top of the Page

In the table at the top of the page, the legislation factor and the

total for surgical services are corrected to read as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Primary

Surgical care Nonsurgical

Legislative factors services services services

(percent) (percent) (percent)

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Legislation...................... 1.9 3.2 1.9

Total........................ 9.1 10.5 9.2

------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Section 1848 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w-4))

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program No. 93.774,

Medicare--Supplementary Medical Insurance Program)

Dated: May 20, 1994.

Neil J. Stillman,

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Information, Resources Management.

[FR Doc. 94-13272 Filed 5-31-94; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4120-01-P