[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 79 (Friday, April 23, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22079-22080]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-8832]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

[CMS-1273-N]


Medicare Program; Public Meetings in Calendar Year 2004 for New 
Durable Medical Equipment Coding and Payment Determinations

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

ACTION: Notice of meetings.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the dates and location of public 
meetings to be held in calendar year 2004 to discuss our preliminary 
coding and payment determinations for new durable medical equipment 
(DME). These meetings provide a forum for interested parties to make 
oral presentations or to submit written comments in response to 
preliminary coding and pricing recommendations for DME that have been 
submitted using the Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System coding 
modification process. Discussion is directed toward response to our 
specific preliminary recommendations, and will be limited to items on 
the new DME public meeting agenda.

DATES: The public meetings are scheduled for Tuesday, June 29; 
Wednesday, June 30; and Thursday, July 1, 2004. Each meeting day will 
begin at 9 a.m. and end at 5 p.m., e.d.t. A meeting will only be held 
on July 1, 2004, if the number of agenda items cannot be managed in two 
meeting days.

ADDRESSES: The public meetings will be held in the Centers for Medicare 
& Medicaid Services (CMS) Auditorium, located at 7500 Security 
Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21244.
    Web site: Additional details regarding the public meeting process 
for new DME, along with information on how to register and guidelines 
for an effective presentation, will be posted at least one month before 
the first meeting date on the official HCPCS Web site, and can be 
accessed at http://cms.hhs.gov/medicare/hcpcs/default.asp.
    Individuals who intend to provide a presentation at a public 
meeting for new DME need to familiarize themselves with this 
information. This Web site also includes a description of the HCPCS 
coding process, along with a detailed explanation of the procedures 
used to make coding and payment determinations for DME and other items 
and services that are coded in the HCPCS.
    A summary of each public meeting for new DME will be posted on the 
above Web site within one month after the meeting.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer Carver, (410) 786-6610.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background

    On December 21, 2000, the Congress passed the Medicare, Medicaid, 
and SCHIP Benefits Improvement and Protection Act of 2000 (BIPA), 
Public Law 106-554. Section 531(b) of BIPA mandated that we establish 
procedures that permit public consultation for coding and payment 
determinations for new DME under Medicare Part B of title XVIII of the 
Social Security Act (the Act). The procedures and public meetings 
announced in this notice for new DME are in response to the mandate of 
section 531(b) of BIPA.
    We published a notice in the November 23, 2001, Federal Register 
(66 FR 58743) with information regarding the establishment of the 
public meeting process for DME.

II. Registration

    Registration Procedures: Registration may be completed online at 
http://cms.hhs.gov/medicare/hcpcs/default.asp, or you may contact the 
DME Public Meeting Coordinator, Jennifer Carver at 410-786-6610, to 
register by phone. The following information must be provided when 
registering: Name, company name and address, telephone and fax numbers, 
e-mail address and special needs information. Registrants must also 
indicate whether they are the ``Primary Speaker'' for an agenda item, 
designated by the entity that submitted the HCPCS coding request. A CMS 
staff member will confirm your registration by mail, e-mail or fax.
    Registration Deadline: Individuals must register for each date they 
plan to attend and/or provide a presentation. The deadline for 
registration for all of the meetings dates is Tuesday, June 15, 2004.

III. Presentations and Comment Format

A. Primary Speaker Presentations

    The entity that submitted the HCPCS coding request for an item that 
appears on the Public Meeting agenda may designate one person to be the 
``Primary Speaker'' and make a presentation at the meeting. We will 
post guidelines regarding the amount of time allotted to the speaker, 
as well as other presentation guidelines, on the official HCPCS website 
at least a month before the first public meeting in 2004 for new DME. 
Persons designated to be a Primary Speaker must register to attend the 
meeting using the registration procedures described above and, at least 
15 days before the meeting, contact the DME Public Meeting Coordinator, 
Jennifer Carver at 410-786-6610. At the time of registration, Primary 
Speakers must provide a brief, written statement regarding the nature 
of the information they intend to provide, and advise the meeting 
coordinator regarding needs for Audio/Visual Support. In order to avoid 
disruption of the meeting and ensure compatibility with our systems, 
tapes and disk files are tested and arranged in speaker sequence well 
in advance of the meeting. We will accommodate tapes and disk files 
that are received by the DME Public Meeting Coordinator 7 or

[[Page 22080]]

more calendar days before the meeting. In addition, on the day of the 
meeting, Primary Speakers must provide a written summary of their 
comments to the DME Public Meeting Coordinator.

B. ``5-Minute'' Speaker Presentations

    Meeting attendees will be permitted to sign up at the meeting, on a 
first-come, first-served basis, to make 5-Minute presentations on 
individual agenda items. Based on the number of items on the agenda and 
the progress of the meeting, a determination will be made at the 
meeting by the meeting coordinator and the meeting moderator, regarding 
how many 5-Minute speakers can be accommodated. In order to offer the 
same opportunity to all attendees, there is no pre-registration for 5-
Minute speakers. Attendees may signup only on the day of the meeting to 
do a 5-Minute presentation. They must provide their name, company name 
and address, contact information as specified on the sign-up sheet, and 
identify the specific agenda item that will be addressed. On the day of 
the meeting, 5-Minute speakers must provide a written summary of their 
comments to the DME Public Meeting Coordinator.

C. Speaker Declaration

    The Primary Speakers and the 5-Minute Speakers must declare, at the 
meeting as well as in their written summary, whether or not they have 
any financial involvement with the manufacturers or competitors of any 
items or services being discussed. This includes any payment, salary, 
remuneration, or benefit provided to the speaker by the manufacturer.

D. Written Comments from Meeting Attendees

    We welcome written comments from persons in attendance at a public 
meeting, whether or not they had the opportunity to make an oral 
presentation. Written comments may be submitted at the meeting, or 
prior to the meeting via e-mail to www.cms.hhs.gov/medicare/hcpcs or 
via regular mail to the HCPCS Coordinator, Centers for Medicare & 
Medicaid Services, 7500 Security Boulevard, Mail Stop C5-08-27, 
Baltimore, MD 21244.

IV. General Information

    The meetings are held in a Federal government building; therefore, 
Federal measures are applicable. In planning your arrival time, we 
recommend allowing additional time to clear security. In order to gain 
access to the building and grounds, participants must bring a 
government-issued photo identification and a copy of your confirmation 
of pre-registration for the meeting. Access may be denied to persons 
without proper identification.
    Security measures also include inspection of vehicles, inside and 
out, at the entrance to the grounds. In addition, all persons entering 
the building must pass through a metal detector. All items brought to 
CMS, whether personal or for the purpose of demonstration or to support 
a presentation, are subject to inspection. CMS cannot assume 
responsibility for coordinating the receipt, transfer, transport, 
storage, set-up, safety, or timely arrival of any personal belongings 
or items used for demonstration or to support a presentation.
    Special Accommodations: Persons attending a meeting who are hearing 
or visually impaired and have special requirements, or a condition that 
requires special assistance or accommodations, must provide this 
information upon registering for the meeting.
    Each meeting day will begin at 9 a.m. and end at 5 p.m., e.d.t. 
Because it is impossible to anticipate, in advance of the April 1, 
2004, submission deadline, the nature and the number of coding requests 
that will be submitted for new DME, we can only estimate the amount of 
meeting time that will be needed, and we are unable to post a final 
agenda at this time. We may not need three full-day meetings. We will 
consider each meeting individually, and we may modify the meeting dates 
and times published in this notice. Final confirmation of meeting dates 
and times, and agenda items will be posted three weeks in advance of 
each scheduled meeting, on the official HCPCS Web site and can be 
accessed at http://cms.hhs.gov/medicare/hcpcs/default.asp.

    Authority: Section 1102 and 1871 of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1302 and 42 U.S.C. 1395hh).

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

    Dated: March 25, 2004.
Dennis G. Smith,
Acting Administrator, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
[FR Doc. 04-8832 Filed 4-22-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-01-P