[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 40 (Friday, February 28, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9671-9672]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-4804]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

[CMS-1245-N]


Medicare Program; Request for Nominations to the Advisory Panel 
on Ambulatory Payment Classifications Groups

AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Department of Health 
& Human Services.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice invites nominations of members to the Advisory 
Panel on Ambulatory Payment Classification (APC) Groups (the Panel). 
There will be six vacancies on the Panel as of March 31, 2003. The 
purpose of the Panel is to review the APC groups and their associated 
weights and to advise the Secretary of Health and Human Services and 
the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services 
concerning the clinical integrity of these groups and weights, which 
are major elements of the hospital outpatient prospective payment 
system. The Panel was recently rechartered for a 2-year period through 
November 21, 2004.
    Nominations: Nominations will be considered if received at the 
appropriate address, which is provided below, no later than 5 p.m. 
e.s.t. March 31, 2003. Mail or deliver nominations to the following 
address: CMS, Center for Medicare Management, Hospital & Ambulatory 
Policy Group, Division of Outpatient Care, Attention: Paul Rudolf, 
M.D., J.D., Chairman, Advisory Panel on APC Groups, 7500 Security 
Boulevard, Mail Stop C4-05-17, Baltimore, MD 21244-1850.
    Web Site: Please refer to the Internet at http://www.cms.gov/faca 
for additional information and updates on the Panel's activities.

[[Page 9672]]

    Advisory Committees' Information Lines: Information Hotlines at 1-
877-449-5659 (toll-free) or 410-786-9379 (local) for additional 
information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Shirl Ackerman-Ross, at 
[email protected] or call her on (410) 786-4474. News media 
representatives should contact the CMS Press Office, (202) 690-6145.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    The Secretary of Health and Human Services (the Secretary) is 
required by section 1833(t)(9)(A) of the Social Security Act (the Act), 
as amended by section 201(h)(1)(B) and redesignated by section 202 
(a)(2) of the Balanced Budget Refinement Act of 1999 (Pub. L. 106-113), 
to consult with an advisory panel on APC groups (the Panel). The Panel 
will meet up to three times annually to review the APC groups and 
provide technical advice to the Secretary and the Administrator of the 
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (the Administrator) concerning 
the clinical integrity of the groups and their associated weights. The 
groups and their weights are major elements of the hospital outpatient 
prospective payment system (OPPS). The technical advice provided by the 
Panel will be considered as we prepare the annual Notice of Proposed 
Rulemaking that will propose changes to the OPPS for the next calendar 
year.
    The current members of the Panel are: Michelle Burke, R.N.; Leslie 
Jane Collins, R.N.; Geneva Craig, R.N.; Lora A. DeWald, M.ED; Gretchen 
M. Evans, R.N.; Robert E. Henkin, M.D.; Lee H. Hilborne, M.D.; Stephen 
T. House, M.D.; Kathleen P. Kinslow, CRNA, Ed.D; Mike Metro, R.N.; 
Gerald V. Naccarelli, M.D; Beverly K. Philip, M.D.; Karen L. Rutledge, 
B.S.; William A. Van Decker, M.D., J.D., and Paul E. Wallner, D.O. The 
Panel Chairperson is Paul M. Rudolf, M.D, J.D., a CMS Medical officer.
    The charter allows for up to 15 members plus a Chair, and we will 
have 6 openings as of March 31, 2003. Therefore, we are requesting 
nominations for members to serve on the Panel. Panel members serve 
without compensation, pursuant to advance written agreement; however, 
travel, meals, lodging, and related expenses will be reimbursed in 
accordance with standard government travel regulations. We have a 
special interest for ensuring that women, minorities, and the 
physically challenged are adequately represented on the Panel, and we 
encourage nominations of qualified candidates from those groups.
    The Secretary, or his designee, will appoint new members to the 
Panel from among those candidates determined to have the required 
expertise; new appointments will be done in a manner that will ensure 
an appropriate balance of membership.

II. Criteria for Nominees

    Qualified nominees will meet those requirements necessary to be a 
Panel member. Panel members must be representatives of Medicare 
providers (including Community Mental Health Centers) subject to the 
OPPS, with technical and/or clinical expertise in any of the following 
areas:
    [sbull] Hospital payment systems.
    [sbull] Hospital medical care delivery systems.
    [sbull] Outpatient payment requirements.
    [sbull] Ambulatory payment classification groups.
    [sbull] Use of, and payment for, drugs and medical devices in an 
outpatient setting.
    [sbull] Provision of, and payment for, partial hospitalization 
services.
    [sbull] Any other relevant expertise.
    It is not necessary that any nominee possess expertise in all of 
the areas listed, but each must have a minimum of 5 years experience 
and currently be employed full-time in his or her area of expertise. 
Members of the Panel serve overlapping 4-year terms, contingent upon 
the rechartering of the Panel.
    Any interested person may nominate one or more qualified 
individuals. Self-nominations will also be accepted. Each nomination 
must include a letter of nomination, a curriculum vita of the nominee, 
and a statement from the nominee that the nominee is willing to serve 
on the Panel under the conditions described in this notice and further 
specified in the Charter.

III. Copies of the Charter

    You may obtain a copy of the charter for the Panel by submitting a 
request to Shirl Ackermann-Ross, CMS, CMM, HAPG, DOC, 7500 Security 
Boulevard, Mail Stop C4-05-17, Baltimore, MD 21244, (410) 786-4474, or 
e-mail the request to [email protected]. A copy of the charter 
is also available on the Internet at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/faca.

    Authority: Section 1833(t)(9)(A) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 13951(t)(9)(A)) and section 10(a) of Pub. L. 92-463 (5 U.S.C. 
App. 2).

    Dated: February 25, 2003.
Thomas A. Scully,
Administrator, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
[FR Doc. 03-4804 Filed 2-27-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-01-P