[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 213 (Thursday, November 4, 1999)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 60122]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-28575]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Health Care Financing Administration
42 CFR Parts 409, 411, 413, and 489
[HCFA-1913-CN]
RIN 0938-AI47
Medicare Program; Prospective Payment System and Consolidated
Billing for Skilled Nursing Facilities; Correction
AGENCY: Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA), HHS.
ACTION: Correction of final rule.
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SUMMARY: This document corrects a technical error that appeared in the
final rule published in the Federal Register on July 30, 1999 entitled
``Medicare Program; Prospective Payment System and Consolidated Billing
for Skilled Nursing Facilities.''
EFFECTIVE DATE: This correction is effective September 28, 1999.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bill Ullman, (410) 786-5667.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
In FR Doc. 99-19478 of July 30, 1999 (64 FR 41644), there was a
technical error in the preamble. This error relates to the counting of
minutes of therapy provided by a therapy student on the Minimum Data
Set (MDS) resident assessment instrument. The correction appears in
this document under the heading ``Correction of Errors.''
In the preamble to the final rule (page 41661, column 2) we stated,
``Medicare recognizes the costs associated with approved educational
activities as a pass-through'' and referenced regulations at 42 CFR
413.85 that refer to the costs incurred by approved medical education
programs. Based on this section of the regulations, we indicated that
the minutes of therapy provided by a therapy student may not be
recorded on the MDS resident assessment instrument of the beneficiary
receiving the service.
However, in this notice we are now retracting our statement with
regard to recording of therapy minutes because, contrary to what was
indicated in the preamble, Sec. 413.85 (Cost of educational activities)
is not applicable to therapy student field experience in the skilled
nursing facility (SNF) setting. Except for possible rare instances,
SNFs are not approved medical education programs under that section of
the regulations. Approved programs, such as a residency program
operated by the institution in which it takes place, are actively
engaged in the training process and incur costs in that regard. By
contrast, SNFs provide only the setting in which the training for these
students takes place, not the management of the program itself. Because
Sec. 413.85 does not apply, our statement as to the counting of student
therapy minutes is also inapplicable.
We are, therefore, retracting the statement in the final rule that
the minutes of therapy provided by a therapy student are not to be
recorded on the MDS as minutes of therapy received by the beneficiary.
Providers should record the minutes of therapy provided by therapy
students in accordance with the past practice established under the
instructions in the Long Term Care Resident Assessment Instrument
User's Manual and other HCFA guidelines.
The provision in this correction notice is effective as if it had
been included in the document published in the Federal Register on July
30, 1999, that is September 28, 1999.
Correction of Errors
In FR Doc. 99-19478 of July 30, 1999 (64 FR 41644), we are making
the following correction:
Correction to Preamble
On page 41661, in column 2, line 18, the following sentence is
removed: ``Further, none of the minutes of therapy services provided by
the students may be recorded on the MDS as minutes of therapy received
by the beneficiary.''
(Authority: Section 1888 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.
1395yy))
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program No. 93.773,
Medicare--Hospital Insurance; and Program No. 93.774, Medicare--
Supplementary Medical Insurance Program)
Dated: October 20, 1999.
Brian P. Burns,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Information Resources Management.
[FR Doc. 99-28575 Filed 11-3-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-01-P