[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 56 (Friday, March 22, 2002)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 13278]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-6757]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

42 CFR Parts 410, 411, 413, 424, and 489

[CMS-1163-CN]
RIN 0938-AK47


Medicare Program; Prospective Payment System and Consolidated 
Billing for Skilled Nursing Facilities; Correction

AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), HHS.

ACTION: Final rule; correction.

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SUMMARY: This document corrects technical errors that appeared in the 
final rule published in the Federal Register on July 31, 2001 entitled 
``Medicare Program; Prospective Payment System and Consolidated Billing 
for Skilled Nursing Facilities--Update''.

EFFECTIVE DATE: This correction is effective October 1, 2001, except 
for certain wage index corrections that are effective December 1, 2001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bill Ullman, (410) 786-5667.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In the July 31, 2001 final rule entitled 
``Prospective Payment System and Consolidated Billing for Skilled 
Nursing Facilities--Update'' (66 FR 39562), there were several 
technical errors in the preamble involving the SNF PPS wage index 
values. Accordingly, we are correcting several SNF PPS wage index 
values as published in Table 7.
    Specifically, effective October 1, 2001, the wage index value for 
the Albuquerque, NM Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) (area 0200) is 
corrected from 0.9750 to 0.9759, and the wage index value for the 
Killeen-Temple, TX MSA (area 3810) is corrected from 0.7292 to 0.7940.
    In addition, effective December 1, 2001, the wage index value for 
the Boston, MA MSA (area 1123) is corrected from 1.1289 to 1.1378, the 
wage index value for the Savannah, GA MSA (area 7520) is corrected from 
0.9243 to 1.0018, and the wage index value for the Killeen-Temple, TX 
MSA (area 3810) is corrected again from 0.7940 (as corrected in the 
previous paragraph) to 0.8471.
    In accordance with our longstanding policies, these technical and 
tabulation errors are being corrected prospectively, effective on the 
dates noted above. This correction notice conforms the published SNF 
PPS wage index values to the prospectively revised values and does not 
represent any changes to the policies set forth in the final rule.
    The corrections appear in this document under the heading 
``Correction of Errors''. The provisions in this correction notice are 
effective as if they had been included in the document published in the 
Federal Register on July 31, 2001, except for those wage index 
corrections that we specifically noted to be effective December 1, 
2001.

Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking

    We ordinarily publish a notice of proposed rulemaking in the 
Federal Register to provide a period for public comment before 
provisions of a notice such as this take effect. We can waive this 
procedure, however, if we find good cause that a notice and comment 
procedure is impracticable, unnecessary, or contrary to the public 
interest and incorporate a statement of the finding and its reasons in 
the notice issued.
    We find it unnecessary to undertake notice and comment rulemaking 
because this notice merely provides technical corrections to the 
regulations and does not make any substantive changes to the 
regulations. Therefore, for good cause, we waive notice and comment 
procedures.

Correction of Errors

    In FR Doc. 01-18869 of July 31, 2001 (66 FR 39562), we are making 
the following corrections:

Corrections to Preamble

    1. On page 39572, in column 3 of Table 7, ``Wage Index for Urban 
Areas'', the entry of ``0.9750'' for the Albuquerque, NM MSA (area 
0200) is revised to read ``0.9759''.
    2. On page 39573, in column 2 of Table 7, ``Wage Index for Urban 
Areas'', the entry of ``1.1289'' for Boston, MA MSA (area 1123) is 
revised by adding ``1.1378 (effective December 1, 2001)''.
    3. On page 39575, in column 3 of Table 7, ``Wage Index for Urban 
Areas'', the entry of ``0.7292'' for the Killeen-Temple, TX MSA (area 
3810) is revised to read ``0.7940'' and by adding ``0.8471 (effective 
December 1, 2001)''.
    4. On page 39578, in column 1 of Table 7, ``Wage Index for Urban 
Areas'', the entry of ``0.9243'' for the Savannah, GA MSA (area 7520) 
is revised by adding ``1.0018 (effective December 1, 2001)''.

(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: March 14, 2002.
Dennis Williams,
Acting, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Information Resources 
Management.
[FR Doc. 02-6757 Filed 3-21-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-01-P