[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 165 (Friday, August 25, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50429-50430]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-14147]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

[CMS-4122-N]


Medicare Program; Town Hall Meeting on Proposed Collection and 
Request for Comments on the Skilled Nursing Facility Advance 
Beneficiary Notice

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

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: This notice announces a Town Hall meeting to solicit input 
from the public on the proposed use of, and revisions to, the Skilled 
Nursing Facility Advance Beneficiary Notice (SNFABN), CMS-10055 (2006), 
and accompanying instructions. All interested parties are invited to 
comment on the proposed SNFABN collection instrument and instructions, 
including any of the following subjects: (1) The associated time and 
administrative burden, (2) the ability of the proposed notice to 
fulfill existing CMS requirements, and (3) ways to enhance the quality 
and clarity of the information to be collected. The opinions and 
alternatives provided during this meeting will assist us as we evaluate 
our policy on issuing notices in skilled nursing facilities. The 
meeting is open to the public, but attendance is limited to space 
available.

DATES: Meeting Date: The Town Hall meeting announced in this notice 
will be held on Tuesday, September 26, 2006 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. 
e.s.t.

[[Page 50430]]


ADDRESSES: The Town Hall meeting will be held in the main auditorium of 
the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, 7500 Security 
Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21244. Interested parties attending the 
meeting must enter the building at the main entrance on the first floor 
of the Central Building.
    Written Questions or Statements: Any interested party may send 
written comments by mail, fax, or electronically. We will accept 
written testimony, questions, or other statements until September 20, 
2006. Send written testimony, questions, or other statements to Centers 
for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Medicare Enrollment Appeals Group, 
Division of Consumer Protection, Mail Stop C2-12-16, 7500 Security 
Boulevard, Baltimore, Maryland 21244-1850. Attention: Charlayne Van. 
Fax: (410) 786-8883. E-mail: [email protected].
    Although written submissions will be accepted in advance of the 
meeting, they may not be read during the meeting due to time 
constraints.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Charlayne Van,(410) 786-8659, 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    The current Skilled Nursing Facility Advance Beneficiary Notice 
(SNFABN), CMS-10055 (2006), is a notice that the Skilled Nursing 
Facility (SNF) gives to a Medicare beneficiary, or to his or her 
authorized representative, before extended care items or services are 
reduced or terminated, or before non-covered care is initiated. This 
notice is issued when the SNF, the utilization review entity, the 
quality improvement organization, or the Medicare contractor believes 
that Medicare will not pay for or will not continue to pay for extended 
care items and/or services that the SNF furnishes. Currently, SNFs may 
also use official denial letters for the same purpose, and must use the 
general Advance Beneficiary Notice (ABN-G) for Part B services.
    In February of 2004, we held a Town Hall meeting to solicit 
comments on the SNFABN. In response to the questions and comments 
arising from the 2004 Town Hall meeting, we revised the SNFABN and 
instructions for its use when delivered by a SNF and paid by Part A or 
Part B. In July of 2006, we consumer tested the revised form and 
instructions with Medicare beneficiaries, caregivers, and professional 
SNF staff members.
    In an effort to streamline the notice process and to alleviate 
confusion for beneficiaries, the new form will replace the current 
SNFABN for Part A services and the ABN for Part B items and/or 
services. In addition, we are also considering voluntary uses of the 
SNFABN so that alternatives, like the Notice of Exclusion from Medicare 
Benefits (NEMB), will no longer be necessary.

II. Meeting Format

    The initial portion of the meeting will be a presentation to 
provide background on the evolution of the SNFABN and the current 
notice structure. The remainder of the meeting will be reserved for 
individual statements from interested parties.
    The time for each participant to make statements may be limited 
according to the number of registered participants. Therefore, 
individuals who wish to make statements must contact the individual 
identified in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section above, at the 
time of registration to sign up to make a statement. Participants will 
be permitted to speak in the order in which they sign up. If time 
permits, comments from individuals not registered to speak will be 
heard after scheduled statements.

III. Registration Instructions

    Anyone who wishes to participate in the public meeting must notify 
us, in advance, of their interest in attending, and also if they wish 
to make a statement. Interested parties may register through the Town 
Hall meeting Web site at [email protected]. Please submit 
the following information when registering: name, company name, 
address, telephone number and e-mail address. Individuals requiring 
sign language interpretation or other special accommodations must 
provide that information upon registration for the meeting. If you have 
trouble registering over the Internet, you may contact Charlayne Van at 
(410) 786-8659 or by e-mail at [email protected].

IV. Security, Building, and Parking Guidelines

    Because this meeting will be located on Federal property, for 
security reasons, any persons wishing to attend this meeting must 
register by close of business on September 20, 2006. Individuals who 
have not registered in advance will not be allowed to enter the 
building to attend the meeting. Seating capacity is limited to the 
first 250 registrants.
    The on-site check-in for visitors will be held from 12 noon until 1 
p.m. Please allow sufficient time to go through the security 
checkpoints. It is suggested that you arrive at 7500 Security Boulevard 
no later than 12 noon so that you will be able to arrive promptly at 
the meeting by 1 p.m. All items brought to the building, whether 
personal or for the purpose of demonstration or to support a 
presentation, are subject to inspection.
    Security measures will 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, including personal items such as desktops, cell phones, and palm 
pilots, are subject to physical inspection.

    Authority : Section 1879 of the Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C. 
1395pp.

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

    Dated: August 18, 2006.
Mark B. McClellan,
Administrator, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. CMS-4122-N 2
 [FR Doc. E6-14147 Filed 8-24-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-01-P