[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 7 (Friday, January 10, 2014)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 1742-1743]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-00277]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

42 CFR Parts 413 and 424

[CMS-1446-CN3]
RIN 0938-AR65


Medicare Program; Prospective Payment System and Consolidated 
Billing for Skilled Nursing Facilities for FY 2014; Correction

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

ACTION: Final rule; correction.

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SUMMARY: This document corrects technical errors in the correcting 
document that appeared in the January 2, 2014 Federal Register entitled 
``Medicare Program; Prospective Payment System and Consolidated Billing 
for Skilled Nursing Facilities for FY 2014; Correction.''

DATES: Effective Date: This correcting document is effective January 8, 
2014.
    Applicability Date: This correcting document is applicable to 
skilled nursing facility services furnished on or after January 1, 
2014.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Kane, (410) 786-0557.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    In the August 6, 2013 Federal Register (78 FR 47936), we published 
a final rule entitled ``Medicare Program; Prospective Payment System 
and Consolidated Billing for Skilled Nursing Facilities for FY 2014'' 
(hereinafter referred to as the FY 2014 SNF PPS final rule). To correct 
typographical and technical errors in the FY 2014 SNF PPS final rule, 
we published correcting documents that appeared in the October 3, 2013 
Federal Register (78 FR 61202) and the January 2, 2014 Federal Register 
(79 FR 63). We left out the applicability date from the DATES section 
of the January 2, 2014 correcting document; therefore, in this 
correcting document, we add the applicability date.

II. Summary of Errors

    On page 63 of the January 2, 2014 correcting document (79 FR 63), 
we inadvertently omitted the applicability date from the DATES section.

III. Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking and Delay of Effective Date

    We ordinarily publish a notice of proposed rulemaking in the 
Federal

[[Page 1743]]

Register to provide a period for public comment before the provisions 
of a rule take effect in accordance with section 553(b) of the 
Administrative Procedure Act (APA) (5 U.S.C. 553(b)). However, we can 
waive this notice and comment procedure if the Secretary finds, for 
good cause, that the notice and comment process is impracticable, 
unnecessary, or contrary to the public interest, and incorporates a 
statement of the finding and the reasons therefor in the notice.
    Section 553(d) of the APA ordinarily requires a 30-day delay in 
effective date of final rules after the date of their publication in 
the Federal Register. This 30-day delay in effective date can be 
waived, however, if an agency finds for good cause that the delay is 
impracticable, unnecessary, or contrary to the public interest, and the 
agency incorporates a statement of the findings and its reasons in the 
rule issued.
    In our view, this correcting document does not constitute a rule 
that would be subject to the APA notice and comment or delayed 
effective date requirements. This correcting document simply adds the 
applicability date that was inadvertently omitted and does not make 
substantive changes to the policies or payment methodologies that were 
adopted in the final rule.
    In addition, even if this correcting document were a rule to which 
the notice and comment procedures and delayed effective date 
requirements applied, we find that there is good cause to waive such 
requirements. Undertaking further notice and comment procedures to 
incorporate the correction in this document into the January 2, 2014 
correcting document (which corrected the FY 2014 SNF PPS final rule) or 
delaying the effective date would be contrary to the public interest, 
because it is in the public's interest for providers to receive 
appropriate SNF PPS payments in as timely a manner as possible. 
Furthermore, such procedures would be unnecessary, as we are not 
altering our payment methodologies or policies, but rather, are simply 
adding the applicability date that was inadvertently omitted. 
Therefore, we find good cause to waive notice and comment procedures, 
as well as the 30-day delay in effective date.

IV. Correction of Errors

    In FR Doc. 2013-31435 of January 2, 2014 (79 FR 63), make the 
following corrections:
    1. On page 63, in the DATES section, the caption and sentence, 
``DATES: Effective Date: This correction is effective January 2, 
2014.'' are corrected to read as follows:

DATES: Effective Date: This correcting document is effective January 2, 
2014.
    Applicability Date: This correcting document is applicable to 
skilled nursing facility services furnished on or after January 1, 
2014.''

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

    Dated: January 6, 2014.
Jennifer Cannistra,
Executive Secretary to the Department, Department of Health and Human 
Services.
[FR Doc. 2014-00277 Filed 1-8-14; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 4120-01-P