[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 230 (Friday, November 30, 2007)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 67652-67653]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-23219]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

42 CFR Part 409

[CMS-1545-CN2]
RIN 0938-AM46


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

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

ACTION: Final rule; correction notice.

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SUMMARY: This document corrects technical errors that appeared in the 
August 3, 2007 Federal Register, entitled ``Medicare Program; 
Prospective Payment System and Consolidated Billing for Skilled Nursing 
Facilities for FY 2008; Final Rule.''

DATES: Effective Date: This correction is effective January 1, 2008.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background

    On September 28, 2007, we published a correction notice (FR Doc. 
E7-18732, 72 FR 55085) to correct a number of technical errors that 
appeared in the FY 2008 Skilled Nursing Facility Prospective Payment 
System (SNF PPS) final rule on August 3, 2007 (FR Doc. 07-3784, 72 FR 
43412). In this notice, we are correcting certain technical errors in 
the wage index values, which have been recently identified. 
Specifically, we have determined that in the process of developing the 
most recent hospital wage index, an inpatient hospital provider was 
inadvertently assigned to the wrong Core-Based Statistical Area (CBSA). 
This provider was incorrectly located in CBSA 16180 (Carson City, NV) 
instead of CBSA 39900 (Reno-Sparks, NV). Accordingly, we are revising 
the wage index values for CBSA 16180 Carson City, NV from 0.9353 to the 
corrected value of 1.0003. Similarly, we are revising the wage index 
value for CBSA 39900 Reno-Sparks, NV from 1.0959 to the corrected value 
of 1.0715. As we are revising the entries for only these two particular 
CBSAs, we are not republishing the lengthy Table 8, ``FY 2008 Wage 
Index for Urban Areas Based on CBSA Labor market Areas,'' in its 
entirety in this notice. We note that the corrected version of this 
table is available online on the SNF PPS website, at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/SNFPPS/04_WageIndex.asp.
    The corrections in this document appear below in the ``Correction 
of Errors'' section. The provisions in this correction notice are 
effective as of January 1, 2008.

II. Correction of Errors

    In FR Doc. 07-3784 (72 FR 43412), make the following corrections:
    1. On page 43441, in column 3 (``Wage Index'') of Table 8, ``Wage 
Index for Urban Areas Based on CBSA Labor Market Areas'', the entry 
``0.9353'' for CBSA 16180 Carson City, NV is corrected to read 
``1.0003''.
    2. On page 43455, in column 3 (``Wage Index'') of Table 8, ``Wage 
Index for Urban Areas Based on CBSA Labor Market Areas'', the entry 
``1.0959'' for CBSA 39900 Reno-Sparks, NV is corrected to read 
``1.0715''.

[[Page 67653]]

III. Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking

    We ordinarily publish a notice of proposed rulemaking in the 
Federal Register to provide a period for public comment before the 
provisions of a notice take effect in accordance with section 553(b) of 
the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) (5 U.S.C. 553(b)). However, we 
can waive the notice and comment procedure if the Secretary finds, for 
good cause, that a notice and comment process is impracticable, 
unnecessary or contrary to the public interest, and incorporates a 
statement of the finding and the reasons therefore in the notice.
    We find for good cause that it is unnecessary to undertake notice 
and comment rulemaking because this notice merely provides technical 
corrections to the regulations. We are not making substantive changes 
to our payment methodologies or policies, but rather, are simply 
implementing correctly the payment methodologies and policies that we 
previously proposed, received comment on, and subsequently finalized. 
The public has already had the opportunity to comment on these payment 
methodologies and policies, and this correction notice is intended 
solely to ensure that the FY 2008 SNF PPS final rule accurately 
reflects them. Therefore, we believe that undertaking further notice 
and comment procedures to incorporate these corrections into the update 
notice is unnecessary and contrary to the public interest.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program No. 93.773, 
Medicare--Hospital Insurance; and Program No. 93.774, Medicare--
Supplementary Medical Insurance Program)

    Dated: November 19, 2007.
Ann C. Agnew,
Executive Secretary to the Department.
 [FR Doc. E7-23219 Filed 11-29-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-01-P