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

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.

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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

JG[email protected] or Martha Kuespert at (410) 786-4605 or via e-mail

MK[email protected] 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: JG[email protected].

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