[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