[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 187 (Friday, September 26, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58048-58049]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-22906]
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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
Reasonable Charges for Inpatient MS-DRGs and SNF Medical
Services; V3.15, Fiscal Year 2015 Update
AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: This document updates the acute inpatient and the skilled
nursing facility/sub-acute inpatient facility charges. The updated
charges are based on the 2015 Medicare severity diagnosis related
groups (MS-DRGs).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Romona Greene, Chief Business Office
(10NB), Veterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs,
810 Vermont Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20420, (202) 382-2521. (This is
not a toll free number.)
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 17.101 of Title 38 of the Code of
Federal Regulations (CFR) sets forth the Department of Veterans Affairs
(VA) medical regulations concerning ``Reasonable Charges'' for medical
care or services provided or furnished by VA to a veteran: for a
nonservice-connected disability for which the veteran is entitled to
care (or the payment of expenses of care) under a health plan contract;
for a nonservice-connected disability incurred incident to the
Veteran's employment and covered under a worker's compensation law or
plan that provides reimbursement or indemnification for such care and
services; or, for a nonservice-connected
[[Page 58049]]
disability incurred as a result of a motor vehicle accident in a State
that requires automobile accident reparations insurance. The
methodologies for establishing billed amounts for several types of
charges are found in 38 CFR 17.101; however, this notice will only
address the acute inpatient and the skilled nursing facility/sub-acute
inpatient facility charges.
Based on the methodologies set forth in 38 CFR 17.101(b), this
notice updates the acute inpatient facility charges that were based on
the 2014 Medicare severity diagnosis related groups (MS-DRGs). Acute
inpatient facility charges by MS-DRGs are posted on the Internet site
of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Chief Business Office,
currently at http://www.va.gov/CBO/apps/rates/index.asp, under the
``Reasonable Charges Data Tables'' section, v3.13 Inpatient Data Table,
as Table A. This Table A corresponds to the Table A referenced in 78 FR
59427, September 26, 2013. Table A referenced in this notice is v3.15,
which provides updated charges based on the 2015 MS-DRGs, and it will
replace Table A posted on the Internet site of the VHA Chief Business
Office.
Also, this document updates the skilled nursing facility/sub-acute
inpatient facility all-inclusive per diem charge using the
methodologies set forth in 38 CFR 17.101(c) and this charge is adjusted
by a geographic area factor that is based on the location where the
care is provided. See Table ``N'' Acute Inpatient and Table ``O''
Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) for the geographic area factors on the
VHA Chief Business Office Web site under the v3.14 link in the
``Reasonable Charges Data Tables'' section, which are not being updated
by this notice. The skilled nursing facility/sub-acute inpatient
facility per diem charge is posted on the Internet site of the VHA's
Chief Business Office, currently at http://www.va.gov/CBO/apps/rates/index.asp, under the ``Reasonable Charges Data Tables'' section, v3.13
as Table B. This Table B corresponds to the Table B referenced in 78 FR
59427, September 26, 2013. Table B referenced in this notice is v3.15,
which provides an update to the all-inclusive nationwide skilled
nursing facility/sub-acute inpatient facility per diem charge and will
replace Table B posted on the Internet site of the VHA Chief Business
Office.
The charges in this notice for acute inpatient and skilled nursing
facility/sub-acute inpatient facility services are effective October 1,
2014.
This notice is retaining the table designations used for acute
inpatient facility charges by MS-DRGs, which is posted on the Internet
site of the VHA Chief Business Office, currently at http://www.va.gov/CBO/apps/rates/index.asp, under ``Reasonable Charges Data Tables.'' We
also are retaining the table designation used for skilled nursing
facility/sub-acute inpatient facility charges, which is also posted on
the Internet site of the VHA Chief Business Office. Accordingly, the
tables identified as being updated by this notice correspond to the
applicable tables referenced in 78 FR 59427, September 26, 2013.
The list of data sources presented in Supplementary Table 1 will be
posted on the Internet site of the VHA Chief Business Office, currently
at http://www.va.gov/CBO/apps/rates/index.asp, under ``Reasonable
Charges Data Sources'' section, v3.13, to reflect the updated data
sources used to establish the updated charges described in this notice.
We have also updated the list of VA medical facility locations. As
a reminder, in Supplementary Table 3, posted on the internet site of
the VHA Chief Business Office, currently at http://www.va.gov/CBO/apps/rates/index.asp, under the VA Medical Facility Locations, v3.14
(January, 2014), in the ``VA Medical Facility Locations'' section, we
set forth the list of VA medical facility locations, which includes the
first three digits of their zip codes and provider-based/non-provider-
based designations.
Consistent with VA's regulations, the updated data tables and
supplementary tables containing the changes described in this notice
will be posted on the Internet site of the VHA Chief Business Office,
``Reasonable Charges (Rates) Information'' Web page currently at http://www.va.gov/CBO/apps/rates/index.asp.
Dated: September 22, 2014.
William F. Russo,
Acting Director, Office of Regulation Policy and Management, Office of
the General Counsel, Department of Veterans Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2014-22906 Filed 9-25-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8320-01-P