[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 182 (Thursday, September 19, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76838-76839]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-21297]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

[CMS-1823-N]


Medicare Program; Public Meeting for New Revisions to the 
Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) Coding--November 6-8, 
2024

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

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 from November 6, 2024, through November 8, 2024, to discuss CMS' 
preliminary coding, Medicare benefit category, and payment 
determinations, if applicable, for new revisions to the HCPCS Level II 
code set for non-drug and non-biological items and services, as well as 
how to register for those meetings.

DATES: Virtual Meeting Dates: Wednesday, November 6, 2024, 9 a.m. to 5 
p.m. Eastern Time (ET); Thursday, November 7, 2024, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 
ET; and Friday, November 8, 2024, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET.

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 Level II 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 attendees are advised to review the 
public meeting agendas at https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Coding/MedHCPCSGenInfo/HCPCSPublicMeetings, which identify CMS' preliminary 
coding, Medicare benefit category, and payment determinations, if 
applicable, and the date each item will be discussed. In establishing 
the public meeting agendas, CMS may group multiple, related code 
applications under the same agenda item.

III. Virtual Meeting Registration

    The November 6, 2024 through November 8, 2024, HCPCS public 
meetings will be virtual and available for remote audio attendance and 
participation only via Zoom. The Zoom link and registration 
instructions 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-billing/healthcare-common-procedure-system. 
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 by 5 p.m. ET on October 25, 2024. 
All participants and other attendees can access the virtual public 
meeting through the Zoom link, which will be posted on the HCPCS Level 
II website. Attendees can attend more than 1 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);

[[Page 76839]]

     Agenda item and application number;
     Email address;
     Any special assistance requests (will be considered if the 
registration is submitted by 5 p.m. ET, October 25, 2024);
     Whether the registrant is a primary speaker or a 5-minute 
speaker for an agenda item; and
     Whether the primary speaker will use a PowerPoint 
presentation.

B. Speakers and Attendees

1. Primary Speakers
    Each applicant that submitted a HCPCS Level II 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. Any unused time from the primary 
speaker will be forfeited and cannot be delegated to another speaker. 
The deadline for primary speakers to register and submit any supporting 
PowerPoint presentation is 5 p.m. ET, October 25, 2024. CMS 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 in PowerPoint presentation format, not PDF. We will not play 
videos, transitions, or animations during the public meeting sessions 
and request that the speakers exclude these materials from their 
PowerPoint presentation and instead submit any relevant video or 
animation materials along with their written comments. We request that 
speakers ensure 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 Level II 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, interested parties, 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. ET, October 25, 2024.
    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 Level II code application or 
agenda item that the 5-minute speaker presented, or with 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 Level II website at https://www.cms.gov/medicare/coding-billing/healthcare-common-procedure-system 
as well as the guidelines document.
    Individuals who require special assistance must register and 
request special assistance services by 5 p.m. ET, October 25, 2024.

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. 
ET on the date of the virtual public meeting at which the HCPCS Level 
II 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 
Level II 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 
(PDF),'' which is a description of the HCPCS Level II coding process, 
including a detailed explanation of the procedures CMS uses to make 
HCPCS Level II coding determinations.
    When CMS refers to a HCPCS code or HCPCS Level II 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 Trenesha Fultz-Mimms, who is the 
Federal Register Liaison, to electronically sign this document for 
purposes of publication in the Federal Register.

Trenesha Fultz-Mimms,
Federal Register Liaison, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
[FR Doc. 2024-21297 Filed 9-18-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-01-P