[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 204 (Friday, October 22, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57101-57103]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-27586]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Care Financing Administration
[HCFA-1060-CN]
RIN 0938-AJ57


Correction Notice--Schedules of Per-Visit and Per-Beneficiary 
Limitations on Home Health Agency Costs for Cost Reporting Periods 
Beginning on or After October 1, 1999 and Portions of Cost Reporting 
Periods Beginning Before October 1, 2000 (Medical Program)--ACTION

Schedules of Per-Visit and Per-Beneficiary Limitations on Home Health 
Agency Costs for Cost Reporting Periods Beginning on or After October 
1, 1999 and Portions of Cost Reporting Periods Beginning Before October 
1, 2000 (Medical Program)

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

ACTION: Correction of notice with comment period.

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SUMMARY: In the August 5, 1999 issue of the Federal Register (64 FR 
42766), we published a notice with comment period setting forth revised 
schedules of limitations on home health agency costs that may be paid 
under the Medicare program for cost reporting periods beginning on or 
after October 1, 1999. This document corrects technical errors made in 
that document.

EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 1999.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cathy Johnson, (410) 786-5241.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    In the August 5, 1999 notice, we announced the limitations for home 
health agencies for cost reporting periods beginning on or after 
October 1, 1999, including the per-visit limitations. We are correcting 
table 6A, Per-Visit Limitations, to account for an inadvertent 
misapplication of the 1.1 percent reduction related to the market 
basket update factors. The aggregate per-beneficiary limits were 
calculated correctly in the August 5 notice and are not affected.
    In addition, there were inadvertent rounding errors and a 
typographical error in the three tables discussing OASIS adjustment. 
Due to these errors, we are correcting Table 1, Continuous Oasis 
Adjustment: Base; Table 2, Continuous OASIS Adjustment: 5-Year 
Depreciation Averaging; and Table 3, OASIS Adjustment: ``One-Time''. 
Below are the corrected figures and corrected Tables 1 through 3. The 
total continuous OASIS adjustment factor should be $.118895, rather 
than $.11916. The total continuous OASIS adjustment factor of $.118895 
when added to the one-time OASIS adjustment of $.010267 yields an 
overall adjustment of $.129162.

Correction of Errors

    1. On page 42771, Table 1 is corrected to read as follows:

                                   Table 1.--Continuous Oasis Adjustment: Base
                                              [For data reporting]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         Type of Adjustment                      Source                        Formula            Cost per visit
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Audits to ensure data accuracy......  University of Colorado        (((((10 records per month *           .02542
                                       (CHPR), BLS Occupational      12 months)) * .25 hrs) *
                                       Employment Survey (1996),     $25.42)/30,000 avg visits)
                                       1994 & 1995 HCFA Cost         . . . professional staff
                                       Report Data.
Data entry, editing, & auditing.....  University of Colorado        ((((8.5 hrs per month * 12)          .059667
                                       (CHPR), Estimated average     + (5 hrs per month * 12) +
                                       salary for clerical staff     (1 hr per month * 12) + (5
                                       1994 & 1995 HCFA Cost         hrs per year)) * $10 per
                                       Report Data.                  hour) /30,000 avg visits)
Supplies............................  HCFA-3006-IFC OASIS           $250 avg cost / 30,000 avg           .008333
                                       Reporting (64 FR 3748),       visits.
                                       1994 & 1995 HCFA Cost
                                       Report Data.
Ongoing telephone costs.............  Regional telephone company    (((($13.14 per month, per            .007808
                                       1994 & 1995 HCFA Cost         line) + ($6.38 per month
                                       Report Data (for average      subscriber fee)) * 12
                                       size HHA).                    months) / 30,000 avg
                                                                     visits)
                                                                                                 ---------------
    Total...........................  ............................  ............................        $.101228
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    2. On page 42771, Table 2 is corrected to read as follows:

[[Page 57102]]



                      Table 2.--Continuous Oasis Adjustment: 5-Year Depreciation Averaging
                                              [For data reporting]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
          Type of adjustment                       Source                      Formula            Cost per visit
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Computer Hardware: American Hospital
 Association's Health Data & Coding
 Standards Group's ``Estimated Useful
 Lives of Depreciable Hospital
 Assets'' (revised 1998)
    --Computer........................  Average cost for PC with     $2050 computer depreciated         $.022778
                                         minimal acceptable           over 3 years.... (($2050/
                                         standards 1994 & 1995 HCFA   3) / 30,000 avg visits.
                                         Cost Report Data.
    --Printer.........................  Average cost for printer     $600 printer cost                      .004
                                         with minimal acceptable      depreciated over 5
                                         standards 1994 & 1995 HCFA   years... (($600/5) /
                                         Cost Report Data.            30,000 avg visits).
                                        First 3 Year's Adjustment..  * Note: computer & printer          .026778
                                                                      depreciation.
                                        Next 2 Year's Adjustment...  * Note: printer ONLY                   .004
                                                                      depreciation.
                                        5 Year Average Adjustment..  ((($.026778*3) + ($.004 *           .017667
                                                                      2)) / 5).
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    3. On page 42771 and continuing on page 42772, Table 3 is corrected 
to read as follows:

                               Table 3.--Continuous Oasis Adjustment: ``One-Time''
                                              [For data reporting]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         Type of adjustment                      Source                        Formula            Cost per visit
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Training of Data Entry Staff........  BLS Employer Provided         (24 hrs * $10) / 30,000 avg            $.008
                                       Training (Hrs of Training     visits.
                                       (1995) & an estimated
                                       average salary for clerical
                                       personnel 1994 & 1995 HCFA
                                       Cost Report Data.
Telephone installation..............  1994 & 1995 HCFA Cost Report  ($28 processing fee) + ($40          .002267
                                       Data.                         per line connect fee) /
                                                                     30,000 avg visits.
                                                                                                 ---------------
    Total One Time Adjustment.......  ............................  ............................         .010267
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    4. On page 42772, the following corrections are made:
    a. In the first paragraph of column 1, in line 13, ``$.101561'' is 
corrected to read ``$.101228''.
    b. In the first paragraph of column 1, in the fifth line from the 
bottom, ``$.0267'' is corrected to read ``$.026778''.
    c. In the second paragraph of column 1, which continues in column 
2, in line 15, ``$.026777'' is corrected to read ``$.026778''.
    d. In the second paragraph of column 1, in line 23, ``$.01766'' is 
corrected to read ``$.017667''.
    e. In the second paragraph of column 1, the last sentence as 
continued in column 2, is corrected to read ``This yearly average 
computer hardware depreciation adjustment ($.017667), when added to the 
base continuous OASIS adjustment ($.101228), results in a total 
continuous OASIS adjustment of $.118895.''
    f. In the first full paragraph in column 2, in line 6, ``$.0103'' 
is corrected to read ``$.010267''.
    5. On page 42777, Table 6A is corrected in its entirety to read as 
follows:

                                        Table 6A.--Per-Visit Limitations
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                     Per-visit                       Nonlabor
                          Type of visit                             limitation     Labor portion      portion
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MSA (NECMA) location:
    Skilled nursing care........................................         $100.81          $78.91          $21.90
    Physical therapy............................................          115.56           90.16           25.40
    Speech therapy..............................................          117.06           91.40           25.66
    Occupational therapy........................................          115.97           90.46           25.51
    Medical social services.....................................          141.40          110.13           31.27
    Home health aide............................................           46.43           36.39           10.04
NonMSA location:
    Skilled nursing care........................................          111.07           90.28           20.79
    Physical therapy............................................          127.15          103.15           24.00
    Speech therapy..............................................          133.00          107.68           25.32
    Occupational therapy........................................          132.50          107.01           25.49
    Medical social services.....................................          174.10          141.49           32.61
    Home health aides...........................................           46.66           37.98            8.68
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[[Page 57103]]

    Section 1861(v)(1)(A) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x 
(v)(1)(A).

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program No. 93.773 
Medicare--Hospital Insurance)

    Dated: October 15, 1999.
Brian P. Burns,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Information Resources Management.
[FR Doc. 99-27586 Filed 10-19-99; 11:43 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-01-P