[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 97 (Friday, May 18, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27662-27663]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-12582]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Care Financing Administration

[HCFA-3069-N]


Medicare Program; Meeting of the Executive Committee of the 
Medicare Coverage Advisory Committee--June 14, 2001

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

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces a public meeting of the Executive 
Committee (the Committee) of the Medicare Coverage Advisory Committee 
(MCAC). The Committee will do the following:
     Act on the February 21, 2001 recommendations of the 
Medical Devices and Prosthetics Panel regarding Ambulatory Blood 
Pressure Monitoring.
     Discuss the ``Interim Guidelines--Recommendations for 
Evaluating Effectiveness,'' prepared by the Executive Committee to 
assist panels in

[[Page 27663]]

consistently judging the scientific evidence of a particular topic 
(also available on the HCFA website at www.hcfa.gov/coverage).
     Discuss the future role of the Committee, in light of the 
provisions of the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Benefits Improvement 
and Protection Act of 2000 that removes the requirement that the 
Committee ratify all medical specialty panel recommendations.
     Discuss the contents of, and framing the questions for, a 
future presentation of ``neuroimaging for dementia'' to be presented to 
the Diagnostic Imaging Panel later this year.
    Notice of this meeting is given under the Federal Advisory 
Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App. 2, section 10(a)(1) and (a)(2)).

DATES: The Meeting: June 14, 2001, from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m., E.D.T.
    Deadline for Presentations and Comments: June 1, 2001, 5 p.m., 
E.D.T.
    Special Accommodations: Persons attending the meeting who are 
hearing impaired and require sign language interpretation, or have a 
condition that requires other special assistance or accommodations, are 
asked to notify the Executive Secretary by June 1, 2001.

ADDRESSES: The Meeting: The meeting will be held at the Baltimore 
Convention Center, Room 339, One West Pratt Street, Baltimore, Maryland 
21201.
    Presentations and Comments: Submit formal presentations and written 
comments to Constance A. Conrad, Executive Secretary; Office of 
Clinical Standards and Quality; Health Care Financing Administration; 
7500 Security Boulevard; Mail Stop S3-02-01; Baltimore, MD 21244.
    Website: You may access up-to-date information on this meeting at 
www.hcfa.gov/coverage.
    Hotline: You may access up-to-date information on this meeting on 
the HCFA Advisory Committee Information Hotline, 1-877-449-5659 (toll 
free) or in the Baltimore area (410) 786-9379.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Constance A. Conrad, Executive 
Secretary, 410-786-4631.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On August 13, 1999, we published a notice 
(64 FR 44231) announcing a meeting of the Drugs, Biologics, and 
Therapeutics Panel and also describing the Medicare Coverage Advisory 
Committee (MCAC), which provides advice and recommendations to us about 
clinical issues. This notice announces the June 14, 2001 public meeting 
of Executive Committee (the Committee) of the MCAC.

Current Committee Members

    Harold C. Sox, MD (Chairperson); Thomas V. Holohan, MD (FACP); 
Leslie P. Francis, JD, PhD; John H. Ferguson, MD; Robert L. Murray, 
PhD; Alan M. Garber, MD, PhD; Michael D. Maves, MD, MBA; Frank J. 
Papatheofanis, MD, PhD; Barbara J. McNeil, MD; Ronald M. Davis, MD; 
Daisy Alford-Smith, PhD; Joe W. Johnson, DC; Robert H. Brook, MD, ScD; 
Linda A. Bergthold, PhD; Randel E. Richner, MPH.

Meeting Topic

    The Committee of the MCAC will do the following:
     Act on the February 21, 2001 recommendations of the 
Medical Devices and Prosthetics Panel regarding Ambulatory Blood 
Pressure Monitoring.
     Discuss the ``Interim Guidelines--Recommendations for 
Evaluating Effectiveness,'' prepared by the Executive Committee to 
assist panels in consistently judging the scientific evidence of a 
particular topic (also available at www.hcfa.gov/coverage).
     Discuss the future role of the Committee, in light of the 
provisions of the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Benefits Improvement 
and Protection Act of 2000 that removes the requirement that the 
Committee ratify all medical specialty panel recommendations.
     Discuss the contents of, and framing the questions for, a 
future presentation of ``neuroimaging for dementia'' to be presented to 
the Diagnostic Imaging Panel later this year.

Procedure and Agenda

    This meeting is open to the public. The Committee will hear oral 
presentations from the public for approximately 1 hour. The Committee 
may limit the number and duration of oral presentations to the time 
available. If you wish to make formal presentations, you must notify 
Executive Secretary Constance A. Conrad, in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT section of this notice, and submit the following by the 
Deadline for Presentations and Comments date listed in the DATES 
section of this notice: A brief statement of the general nature of the 
evidence or arguments you wish to present and the names and addresses 
of proposed participants. A written copy of your presentation must be 
provided to the Executive Secretary before the meeting. We will request 
that you declare at the meeting whether or not you have any financial 
involvement with manufacturers of any items or services being discussed 
(or with their competitors).
    After the public presentations, we will make a presentation to the 
Committee. Then, the Committee will deliberate openly. Interested 
persons may observe the deliberations, but the Committee will not hear 
further comments during this time except at the request of the 
chairperson. The Committee will allow an approximately 30-minute open 
public session for any attendee to address issues specific to the 
topic. After that open session, the members will vote, and the 
Committee will make its recommendation.

    Authority: 5 U.S.C. App. 2, section 10(a)(1) and (a)(2).

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program No. 93.774, 
Medicare--Supplementary Medical Insurance Program)

    Dated: May 8, 2001.
Jeffrey L. Kang,
Director, Office of Clinical Standards and Quality, Health Care 
Financing Administration.
[FR Doc. 01-12582 Filed 5-17-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-01-P