[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 40 (Wednesday, February 28, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8676-8679]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-04105]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

[CMS-1683-N]


Medicare Program; Public Meetings in Calendar Year 2018 for All 
New Public Requests for Revisions to the Healthcare Common Procedure 
Coding System (HCPCS) Coding and Payment Determinations

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the dates, time, and location of the 
Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) public meetings to be 
held in calendar year 2018 to discuss our preliminary coding and 
payment determinations for all new public requests for revisions to the 
HCPCS. These meetings provide a forum for interested parties to make 
oral presentations or to submit written comments in response to 
preliminary coding and payment determinations. The discussion will be 
focused on responses to our specific preliminary recommendations and 
will include all items on the public meeting agenda.

DATES: Meeting Dates: The following are the 2018 HCPCS public meeting 
dates:
    1. Monday, May 14, 2018, 1:00 p.m. to 5 p.m., eastern daylight time 
(e.d.t.) (Drugs/Biologicals/Radiopharmaceuticals/Radiologic Imaging 
Agents).
    2. Tuesday, May 15, 2018, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., e.d.t. (Drugs/
Biologicals/Radiopharmaceuticals/Radiologic Imaging Agents).
    3. Wednesday, May 16, 2018, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., e.d.t. (Drugs/
Biologicals/Radiopharmaceuticals/Radiologic Imaging Agents).
    4. Thursday, May 17, 2018, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., e.d.t. (Drugs/
Biologicals/Radiopharmaceuticals/Radiologic Imaging Agents).
    5. Tuesday, June 1, 2018, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., e.d.t. (Durable Medical 
Equipment (DME), and Accessories, Orthotics and Prosthetics (O&P), 
Supplies and Other).
    6. Wednesday, June 2, 2018, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., (e.d.t.) (Durable 
Medical Equipment (DME), and Accessories, Orthotics and Prosthetics 
(O&P), Supplies and Other).
    Deadlines for Primary Speaker Registration and Presentation 
Materials: The deadline for registering to be a primary speaker and 
submitting materials and writings that will be used

[[Page 8677]]

in support of an oral presentation are as follows:
     May 1, 2018, for the May 14, 15, 16, and 17, 2018 public 
meetings.
     May 22, 2018, for the June 5 and 6, 2018 public meetings.
    Registration Deadline for Attendees that are Foreign Nationals: 
Attendees that are foreign nationals (as described in section IV. of 
this notice) are required to identify themselves as such, and provide 
the necessary information for security clearance (as described in 
section IV. of this notice) to the public meeting coordinator in 
advance of the date of the public meeting the individual plans to 
attend. CMS' registration deadlines for attendees that are foreign 
nationals (including the deadlines for providing necessary information 
for security clearance) are as follows:
     April 24, 2018, for the May 14, 15, 16, and 17, 2018 
public meetings.
     May 10, 2018, for the June 5 and 6, 2018 public meetings.
    Registration Deadlines for all Other Attendees: All individuals who 
are not foreign nationals who plan to enter the building to attend the 
public meeting must register for each date that they plan on attending. 
The registration deadlines are different for each meeting. Registration 
deadlines are as follows:
     May 7, 2018, for the May 14, 15, 16, and 17, 2018 public 
meetings.
     May 24, 2018, for the June 5 and 6, 2018 public meeting 
dates.
    Deadlines for Requesting Special Accommodations: Individuals who 
plan to attend the public meetings and require sign-language 
interpretation or other special assistance must request these services 
by the following deadlines:
     May 1, 2018, for the May 14, 15, 16, and 17, 2018 public 
meetings.
     May 22, 2018, for the June 5 and 6, 2018 public meetings.
    Deadline for Submission of Written Comments: Written comments and 
other documentation in response to a preliminary coding or payment 
determination that are received by no later than the date of the public 
meeting at which the code request is scheduled for discussion, will be 
considered in formulating a final coding decision.

ADDRESSES: Meeting Location: The public meetings will be held in the 
main auditorium of the central building of the Centers for Medicare & 
Medicaid Services, 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21244-1850.
    Submission of Written Comments: Written comments may either be 
emailed to [email protected] or sent via regular mail to Judi Wallace, 
HCPCS Public Meeting Coordinator, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 
Services, 7500 Security Boulevard, Mail Stop C5-09-14, Baltimore, MD 
21244-1850.
    Registration and Special Accommodations: Individuals wishing to 
participate or who need special accommodations or both must register by 
completing the on-line registration located at www.cms.hhs.gov/medhcpcsgeninfo or by contacting Judi Wallace at (410) 786-3197 or 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
    Judi Wallace, (410) 786-3197 or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    On December 21, 2000, the Congress passed the Medicare, Medicaid, 
and SCHIP Benefits Improvement and Protection Act of 2000 (BIPA) (Pub. 
L. 106-554). Section 531(b) of BIPA mandated that we establish 
procedures that permit public consultation for coding and payment 
determinations for new durable medical equipment (DME) under Medicare 
Part B of title XVIII of the Social Security Act (the Act). In the 
November 23, 2001 Federal Register (66 FR 58743), we published a notice 
providing information regarding the establishment of the public meeting 
process for DME. The procedures and public meetings announced in that 
notice for new DME were in response to the mandate of section 531(b) of 
BIPA. As part of HCPCS reform, we expanded the public meeting forum to 
include all public requests as of the 2005-2006 coding cycle.
    It is our intent to distribute any materials submitted to us to the 
Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) workgroup members for 
their consideration. CMS and the HCPCS workgroup members require 
sufficient preparation time to review all relevant materials. 
Therefore, we are implementing a 10-page submission limit and firm 
deadlines for receipt of any presentation materials a meeting speaker 
wishes us to consider. For this reason, our HCPCS Public Meeting 
Coordinator will only accept and review presentation materials received 
by the deadline for each public meeting, as specified in the DATES 
section of this notice.
    The public meeting process provides an opportunity for the public 
to become aware of and provide input regarding coding changes under 
consideration, as well as an opportunity for us to gather public input.

II. Meeting Registration

A. Required Information for Registration

    The following information must be provided when registering on-line 
to attend:
     Name.
     Company name and address.
     Direct-dial telephone and fax numbers.
     Email address.
     Special needs information.
    A CMS staff member will confirm your registration by email.

B. Registration Process

1. Primary Speakers
    Individuals must also indicate whether they are the ``primary 
speaker'' for an agenda item. Primary speakers must be designated by 
the entity that submitted the HCPCS coding request. When registering, 
primary speakers must provide a brief written statement regarding the 
nature of the information they intend to provide, and advise the HCPCS 
Public Meeting Coordinator regarding needs for audio/visual support. To 
avoid disruption of the meeting and ensure compatibility with our 
systems, tapes and disk files are tested and arranged in speaker 
sequence well in advance of the meeting. We will accept tapes and disk 
files that are received by the deadline for submissions for each public 
meeting as specified in the DATES section of this notice. Late 
submissions and updates of electronic materials after our deadline 
cannot be accommodated.
    Please note our page limit for primary speaker presentation 
materials. The sum of all presentation materials and additional 
supporting documentation may not exceed 10 pages (each side of a page 
counts as 1 page). An exception will be made to the 10-page limit only 
for relevant studies newly published between the application deadline 
and the public meeting date, in which case, we would like a copy of the 
complete publication as soon as possible. This exception applies only 
to the page limit and not the submission deadline.
    The materials may be emailed or delivered by regular mail to the 
HCPCS Public Meeting Coordinator as specified in the ADDRESSES section 
of this notice. The materials must be emailed or postmarked no later 
than the deadline specified in the DATES section of this notice. 
Individuals will need to provide 35 copies if materials are delivered 
by mail.
2. ``5-Minute Speakers''
    To afford the same opportunity to all attendees, 5-minute speakers 
are not

[[Page 8678]]

required to register as primary speakers. However, 5-minute speakers 
must still register as attendees by the deadline set forth under 
``Registration Deadlines for all Other Attendees'' in the DATES section 
of this notice. Attendees can sign up only on the day of the meeting to 
do a 5-minute presentation. Individuals must provide their name, 
company name and address, contact information as specified on the sign-
up sheet, and identify the specific agenda item that they will address.

C. Additional Meeting/Registration Information

    The product category reported in the HCPCS code application by the 
applicant may not be the same as that assigned by us. Prior to 
registering to attend a public meeting, all participants are advised to 
review the public meeting agendas at www.cms.hhs.gov/medhcpcsgeninfo 
which identify our category determinations, and the dates each item 
will be discussed. Draft agendas, including a summary of each request 
and our preliminary decision will be posted on our HCPCS website at 
www.cms.hhs.gov/medhcpcsgeninfo at least 4 weeks before each meeting.
    Additional details regarding the public meeting process for all new 
public requests for revisions to the HCPCS, along with information on 
how to register and guidelines for an effective presentation, will be 
posted at least 4 weeks before the first meeting date on the official 
HCPCS website at www.cms.hhs.gov/medhcpcsgeninfo. The document titled 
``Guidelines for Participation in Public Meetings for All New Public 
Requests for Revisions to the Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System 
(HCPCS)'' will be made available on the HCPCS website at least 4 weeks 
before the first public meeting in 2018 for all new public requests for 
revisions to the HCPCS. Individuals who intend to provide a 
presentation at a public meeting need to familiarize themselves with 
the HCPCS website and the valuable information it provides to 
prospective registrants. The HCPCS website also contains a document 
titled ``Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) Level II 
Coding Procedures,'' which is a description of the HCPCS coding 
process, including a detailed explanation of the procedures used to 
make coding determinations for all the products, supplies, and services 
that are coded in the HCPCS.
    The HCPCS website also contains a document titled ``HCPCS Decision 
Tree & Definitions'' which illustrates, in flow diagram format, HCPCS 
coding standards as described in our Coding Procedures document.

III. Presentations and Comment Format

    We can only estimate the amount of meeting time that will be needed 
since it is difficult to anticipate the total number of speakers that 
will register for each meeting. Meeting participants must arrive early 
to allow time to clear security and sign-in. Each meeting is expected 
to begin promptly as scheduled. Meetings may end earlier than the 
stated ending time.

A. Oral Presentation Procedures

    All primary speakers must register as provided under the section 
titled ``Meeting Registration.'' All materials that will be used in 
support of an oral presentation must be submitted to the HCPCS Public 
Meeting Coordinator, Judi Wallace.
    The materials may be emailed or delivered by regular mail to the 
HCPCS Public Meeting Coordinator as specified in the ADDRESSES section 
of this notice. The materials must be emailed or postmarked no later 
than the deadline specified in the DATES section of this notice. 
Individuals will need to include 35 copies if materials are delivered 
by mail.

B. Primary Speaker Presentations

    The individual or entity requesting revisions to the HCPCS coding 
system for a particular agenda item may designate one ``primary 
speaker'' to make a presentation for a maximum of 15 minutes. Fifteen 
minutes is the total time interval for the presentation, and the 
presentation must incorporate any demonstration, set-up, and 
distribution of material. In establishing the public meeting agenda, we 
may group multiple, related requests under the same agenda item. In 
that case, we will decide whether additional time will be allotted, and 
may opt to increase the amount of time allotted to the speaker by 
increments of less than 15 minutes.
    Individuals designated to be the primary speaker must register to 
attend the meeting using the registration procedures described under 
the ``Meeting Registration'' section of this notice and contact Judi 
Wallace, HCPCS Public Meeting Coordinator, as specified in the 
ADDRESSES section. Primary speakers must also separately register as 
primary speakers as specified in the DATES section of this notice.

C. ``5-Minute'' Speaker Presentations

    Meeting attendees can sign up at the meeting, on a first-come, 
first-served basis, to make presentations for up to 5 minutes on 
individual agenda items. Based on the number of items on the agenda and 
the progress of the meeting, a determination will be made at the 
meeting by the meeting coordinator and the meeting moderator regarding 
how many ``5-minute speakers'' can be accommodated and whether the 5-
minute time allocation would be reduced, to accommodate the number of 
speakers.

D. Speaker Declaration

    On the day of the meeting, before the end of the meeting, all 
primary speakers and 5-minute speakers must provide a brief written 
summary of their comments and conclusions to the HCPCS Public Meeting 
Coordinator.
    Every primary speaker and 5-minute speaker must declare at the 
beginning of their presentation at the meeting, as well as in their 
written summary, whether they have any financial involvement with the 
manufacturers or competitors of any items being discussed; this 
includes any payment, salary, remuneration, or benefit provided to that 
speaker by the manufacturer or the manufacturer's representatives.

E. Written Comments From Meeting Attendees

    Written comments will be accepted from the general public and 
meeting registrants anytime up to the date of the public meeting at 
which a request is discussed. Comments must be sent to the address 
listed in the ADDRESSES section of this notice.
    Meeting attendees may also submit their written comments at the 
meeting. Due to the close timing of the public meetings, subsequent 
workgroup reconsiderations, and final decisions, we are able to 
consider only those comments received in writing by the close of 
business on the date of the public meeting at which the request is 
discussed.

IV. Security, Building, and Parking Guidelines

    The meetings are held within the CMS Complex which is not open to 
the general public. Visitors to the complex are required to show a 
valid Government issued photo identification preferably a driver's 
license or passport, at the time of entry. As of October 10, 2015, 
visitors seeking access to federal agency facilities using their state-
issued driver's license or identification cards must present proper 
identification issued by a state that is compliant with the REAL ID Act 
of 2005 (Pub. L. 109-13, 119 Statute 302, enacted on May 11, 2005) or a 
state that has received an extension. What constitutes proper 
identification and whether a driver's license is acceptable 
identification for accessing a federal facility may vary,

[[Page 8679]]

based on which state issued the driver's license. For detailed 
information, please refer to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) 
website: At http://www.dhs.gov. When planning a visit to a federal 
facility, visitors who have further questions about acceptable forms of 
identification are encouraged to contact the facility to determine 
acceptable identification.
    Participants will also be subject to a vehicle security inspection 
before access to the complex is granted. Participants not in possession 
of a valid identification or who are in possession of prohibited items 
will be denied access to the complex. Prohibited items on federal 
property include but are not limited to, alcoholic beverages, illegal 
narcotics, explosives, firearms or other dangerous weapons (including 
pocket knives), dogs or other animals except service animals. Once 
cleared for entry to the complex participants will be directed to 
visitor parking by a security officer.
    To ensure expedited entry into the building it is recommended that 
participants have their ID and a copy of their written meeting 
registration confirmation readily available and that they do not bring 
large/bulky items into the building. Participants are reminded that 
photography on the CMS complex is prohibited. We have also been 
declared a tobacco free campus and violators are subject to legal 
action. In planning arrival time, we recommend allowing additional time 
to clear security. Individuals who are not registered in advance will 
not be permitted to enter the building and will be unable to attend the 
meeting. The invited guests may not enter the building earlier than 45 
minutes before the convening of the meeting each day.
    Guest access to the complex is limited to the meeting area, the 
main entrance lobby, and the cafeteria. If a visitor is found outside 
of those areas without proper escort they may be escorted off of the 
premises. Also be mindful that there will be an opportunity for 
everyone to speak and we request that everyone waits for the 
appropriate time to present their product or opinions. Disruptive 
behavior will not be tolerated and may result in removal from the 
meetings and escort from the complex. No visitor is allowed to attach 
USB cables, thumb drives or any other equipment to any CMS information 
technology (IT) system or hardware for any purpose at any time. 
Additionally, our staff is prohibited from taking such actions on 
behalf of a visitor or utilizing any removable media provided by a 
visitor.
    We cannot assume responsibility for coordinating the receipt, 
transfer, transport, storage, set-up, safety, or timely arrival of any 
personal belongings or items used for demonstration or to support a 
presentation. Special arrangements and approvals are required at least 
2 weeks prior to each public meeting to bring pieces of equipment or 
medical devices. These arrangements need to be made with the public 
meeting coordinator. It is possible that certain requests made in 
advance of the public meeting could be denied because of unique safety, 
security or handling issues related to the equipment. A minimum of 2 
weeks is required for approvals and security procedures. Any request 
not submitted at least 2 weeks in advance of the public meeting will be 
denied.
    Foreign National Visitors are defined as Non-US Citizens, and non-
lawful permanent residents, non-resident aliens or non-green-card 
holders.
    Attendees that are foreign nationals must identify themselves as 
such, and provide the following information for security clearance to 
the public meeting coordinator by the date specified in the DATES 
section of this notice:
     Building to Visit/Destination.
     Visit start date, start time, end date, end time.
     Visitor full name.
     Gender.
     Visitor Title.
     Visitor Organization/Employer.
     Citizenship.
     Birth Place (City, Country).
     Date of Birth.
     ID Type (Passport or State Department ID).
     Passport issued by Country.
     ID (passport) Number.
     ID (passport) issue date.
     ID (passport) expiration date.
     Visa Type.
     Visa Number.
     Purpose of Visit.

    Dated: February 21, 2018.
Seema Verma,
Administrator, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
[FR Doc. 2018-04105 Filed 2-27-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-01-P