[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 13 (Friday, January 18, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4151-4152]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-01142]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

[CMS-3278-N]


Medicare Program; Request for Information on Hospital and Vendor 
Readiness for Electronic Health Records Hospital Inpatient Quality Data 
Reporting; Extension of Comment Period

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

ACTION: Request for information; extension of the comment period.

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SUMMARY: This notice extends the comment period for a request for 
information (RFI) which was published in the January 3, 2013 Federal 
Register (78 FR 308). The RFI requests that hospitals, electronic 
health record (EHR) vendors, and other interested parties respond to 
questions regarding their readiness to conduct electronic reporting of 
certain patient-level data under the Hospital Inpatient Quality 
Reporting (IQR) Program using the Quality Reporting Document 
Architecture (QRDA) Category I. The comment period for the RFI, which 
would have ended on January 22, 2013, is extended to February 1, 2013.

DATES: The comment period for the request for information published in 
the January 3, 2013 Federal Register (78 FR 308) is extended to 
February 1, 2013.

ADDRESSES: In commenting, please refer to file code CMS-3278-NC. 
Because of staff and resource limitations, we cannot accept comments by 
facsimile (FAX) transmission.
    You may submit comments in one of four ways (please choose only one 
of the ways listed):
    1. Electronically. You may submit electronic comments on this 
regulation to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions under 
the ``More Search Options'' tab.
    2. By regular mail. You may mail written comments to the following 
address ONLY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Department of 
Health and Human Services, Attention: CMS-3278-NC, P.O. Box 8013, 
Baltimore, MD 21244-8013.
    Please allow sufficient time for mailed comments to be received 
before the close of the comment period.
    3. By express or overnight mail. You may send written comments to 
the following address ONLY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 
Department of Health and Human Services, Attention: CMS-3278-NC, Mail 
Stop C4-26-05, 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21244-1850.
    4. By hand or courier. If you prefer, you may deliver (by hand or 
courier) your written comments before the close of the comment period 
to either of the following addresses:
    a. For delivery in Washington, DC--Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 
Services, Department of Health and Human Services, Room 445-G, Hubert 
H. Humphrey Building, 200 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 
20201.
    (Because access to the interior of the Hubert H. Humphrey Building 
is not readily available to persons without Federal government 
identification, commenters are encouraged to leave their comments in 
the CMS drop slots located in the main lobby of the building. A stamp-
in clock is available for persons wishing to retain a proof of filing 
by stamping in and retaining an extra copy of the comments being 
filed.)
    b. For delivery in Baltimore, MD--Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 
Services, Department of Health and Human Services, 7500 Security 
Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21244-1850.
    If you intend to deliver your comments to the Baltimore address, 
please call telephone number (410) 786-9994 in advance to schedule your 
arrival with one of our staff members.
    Comments mailed to the addresses indicated as appropriate for hand 
or courier delivery may be delayed and received after the comment 
period.
    Submission of comments on paperwork requirements. You may submit 
comments on this document's paperwork requirements by following the 
instructions at the end of the ``Collection of Information 
Requirements'' section in this document.
    For information on viewing public comments, see the beginning of 
the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Maria Harr, (410) 789-6710.

[[Page 4152]]


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In the January 3, 2013 Federal Register (78 
FR 308), we published a document requesting information from hospitals, 
electronic health record (EHR) vendors, and other interested parties 
regarding hospital readiness to begin electronically reporting certain 
patient-level data under the Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting (IQR) 
Program using the Quality Reporting Document Architecture (QRDA) 
Category I beginning with calendar year 2014 discharges.
    Because of the scope of the requested information and inquiries 
received from several industry and professional organizations/
associations regarding the need for additional time to respond to our 
request, we are extending the comment period until February 1, 2013.

    Dated: January 15, 2013.
Marilyn Tavenner,
Acting Administrator, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
[FR Doc. 2013-01142 Filed 1-16-13; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 4120-01-P