[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 200 (Wednesday, October 18, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71868-71869]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-22953]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

[CMS-1815-N]


Medicare Program; Public Meeting for New Revisions to the 
Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) Coding--November 28-
30, 2023

AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Health and 
Human Services.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the dates and times of the virtual 
Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) public meeting to be 
held November 28, 2023 through November 30, 2023 to discuss our 
preliminary coding, Medicare benefit category, and payment 
determinations for new revisions to the HCPCS Level II code set for 
non-drug and non-biological products, as well as how to register for 
those meetings.

DATES: Virtual Meeting Dates: Tuesday, November 28, 2023, 9 a.m. to 5 
p.m., eastern standard time (EST); Wednesday, November 29, 2023, 9 a.m. 
to 5 p.m., EST; and Thursday, November 30, 2023, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., EST.

ADDRESSES: Virtual Meeting Location: The HCPCS public meetings will be 
held virtually via Zoom only.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sundus Ashar, (410) 786-0750, 
[email protected], or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    On December 21, 2000, Congress enacted the Medicare, Medicaid, and 
the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Benefits Improvement and 
Protection Act of 2000 (BIPA) (Pub. L. 106-554). Section 531(b) of BIPA 
mandated that the Secretary 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 annual public meeting process for 
DME.
    In 2020, we implemented changes to our HCPCS coding procedures, 
including the establishment of quarterly coding cycles for drugs and 
biological products and biannual coding cycles for non-drug and non-
biological items and services.
    In the December 28, 2021 Federal Register (86 FR 73860), we 
published a final rule that established procedures for making Medicare 
benefit category and payment determinations for new items and services 
that are DME, prosthetic devices, orthotics and prosthetics, 
therapeutic shoes and inserts, surgical dressings, or splints, casts, 
and other devices used for reductions of fractures and dislocations 
under Medicare Part B.

II. Public Meeting Agendas

    Prior to registering to attend a virtual public meeting, all 
potential participants and other stakeholders are advised to review the 
public meeting agendas at https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Coding/MedHCPCSGenInfo/HCPCSPublicMeetings which identify our preliminary 
coding, Medicare benefit category, and payment determinations, and the 
date each item will be discussed. In establishing the public meeting 
agendas, we may group multiple, related code applications under the 
same agenda item.

III. Virtual Meeting Registration

    The November 28, 2023 through November 30, 2023 HCPCS public 
meetings will be virtual and available for remote audio attendance and 
participation only via Zoom. The registration link will be posted in 
the Guidelines for Participation in HCPCS Public Meetings document on 
the CMS website at https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Coding/MedHCPCSGenInfo/HCPCSPublicMeetings and in an announcement on the HCPCS General 
Information page at https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Coding/MedHCPCSGenInfo. The same website also contains detailed information on 
how attendees can join the virtual public meetings using Zoom, 
including dial-in information. All individuals who plan to speak (15 or 
5 minutes) at the virtual public meetings must register to attend. All 
other attendees can access the virtual public meeting through the Zoom 
link which will be posted on the HCPCS website after the speaker 
registration closes on Tuesday, November 14, 2023. Attendees can attend 
more than one day of the public meeting.

A. Required Information for Registration

    The following information must be provided when registering to be a 
speaker:
     Name;
     Company name (if applicable);
     Email address;
     Any special assistance requests (will be considered if the 
registration is submitted by 5 p.m. EST, Tuesday, November 14, 2023);
     Whether the registrant is a primary speaker or a 5-minute 
speaker for an agenda item;
     Agenda item and Application number;
     Whether the primary speaker will use a PowerPoint 
presentation; and
     Whether the registrant will participate in a practice Zoom 
session, to be held on Monday, November 27, 2023.

B. Speakers and Attendees

1. Primary Speakers
    Each applicant that submitted a HCPCS code application that will be 
discussed at the virtual public meetings is permitted to designate a 
primary speaker. Fifteen minutes is the total time interval for a 
primary speaker per agenda item. The deadline for primary speakers to 
register and submit any supporting PowerPoint presentation is 5 p.m., 
EST, Tuesday, November 14, 2023. We will accept PowerPoint 
presentations if those materials are emailed to: [email protected] by 
the stated deadline. Due to the timeframe needed for the planning and 
coordination of the HCPCS virtual public meetings, materials that are 
not submitted in accordance with this deadline cannot be accommodated.
    All PowerPoint presentation materials must not exceed 10 slides and 
should be

[[Page 71869]]

in PowerPoint presentation format, not PDF. We will not play videos or 
animations during the public meeting sessions and request the speakers 
to exclude these materials from their PowerPoint presentation and 
instead submit any relevant video or animation materials along with the 
written comments. We request the speakers to ensure that the 
presentation does not include any inappropriate content before 
submission.
    Every primary 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 manufacturer of 
the item that is the subject of the HCPCS application that the primary 
speaker presented, or any competitors of that manufacturer with respect 
to the item. This includes any payment, salary, remuneration, or 
benefit provided to that speaker by the applicant.
2. 5-Minute Speakers
    Any individual related to the public meeting agenda item, including 
but not limited to, an employee, stakeholder, competitor, insurer, 
public consumer, etc., may register and speak as a 5-minute speaker. 
The deadline for registering to be a 5-minute speaker is 5 p.m., EST, 
Tuesday, November 14, 2023.
    Every 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 manufacturer of 
the item that is the subject of the HCPCS code application or agenda 
item that the 5-minute speaker presented, or any competitors of that 
manufacturer with respect to the item. This includes any payment, 
salary, remuneration, or benefit provided to that speaker by the 
applicant. We will not accept any other written materials, outside of 
the written comments, from a 5-minute speaker.
3. All Other Attendees
    All individuals who plan to attend the virtual public meetings to 
listen and do not plan to speak, may access the virtual public meeting 
using the Zoom link posted on the HCPCS website at https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Coding/MedHCPCSGenInfo after the speaker registration closes 
on Tuesday, November 14, 2023.
    Individuals who require special assistance must register and 
request special assistance services by 5 p.m. EST, Tuesday, November 
14, 2023.

IV. Written Comments

    The primary and 5-minute speaker(s) must email a brief, written 
summary (one paragraph) of their comments and conclusions. Written 
comments from anyone, including the primary and 5-minute speaker(s), 
will only be accepted when emailed to: [email protected] before 5 p.m., 
EST on the date of the virtual public meeting at which the HCPCS code 
application that is the subject of the comments is discussed.

V. Additional Information

    The HCPCS section of the CMS website also includes details 
regarding the public meeting process for new revisions to the HCPCS 
code set, including information on how to join the meeting remotely, 
and guidelines for an effective presentation. The HCPCS section of the 
CMS 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 CMS uses to make HCPCS coding 
determinations.
    When CMS refers to HCPCS code or HCPCS coding application above, 
CMS may also be referring to circumstances when a HCPCS code has 
already been issued, but a Medicare benefit category and/or payment has 
not been determined. CMS is working diligently to address Medicare 
benefit category and payment determinations for new items and services 
that may be DME, prosthetic devices, orthotics and prosthetics, 
therapeutic shoes and inserts, surgical dressings, or splints, casts, 
and other devices used for reductions of fractures and dislocations 
under Medicare Part B. Please check the CMS website listed above for 
the final agenda.

VI. Collection of Information Requirements

    This document does not impose information collection requirements, 
that is, reporting, recordkeeping or third-party disclosure 
requirements. Consequently, there is no need for review by the Office 
of Management and Budget under the authority of the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).
    The Administrator of CMS, Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, having reviewed 
and approved this document, authorizes Chyana Woodyard, who is the 
Federal Register Liaison, to electronically sign this document for 
purposes of publication in the Federal Register.

Chyana Woodyard,
Federal Register Liaison, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
[FR Doc. 2023-22953 Filed 10-17-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-01-P