Medicare Program; Announcement of New Members of the Advisory Panel on Ambulatory Payment Classification (APC) Groups, 50358 [05-16798]

Agencies

• Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
• DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 165 (Friday, August 26, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Page 50358]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-16798]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

[CMS-1486-N]


Medicare Program; Announcement of New Members of the Advisory 
Panel on Ambulatory Payment Classification (APC) Groups

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The purpose of the Advisory Panel on Ambulatory Payment 
Classification (APC) Groups (the Panel) is to review the APC groups and 
their associated weights and to advise the Secretary of the Department 
of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Administrator of the Centers 
for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) concerning the clinical 
integrity of the APC groups and their associated weights. The advice 
provided by the Panel will be considered as CMS prepares its annual 
updates of the hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) 
through rulemaking. This notice announces the new members selected to 
serve on the Panel.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For inquiries about the Panel, please 
contact the Designated Federal Officer (DFO): Shirl Ackerman-Ross, DFO, 
CMS, CMM, HAPG, DOC, 7500 Security Boulevard, Mail Stop C4-05-17, 
Baltimore, MD 21244-1850. Phone (410) 786-4474.
    E-mail Address for comments is: APCPanel@cms.hhs.gov. News media 
representatives must contact our Public Affairs Office at (202) 690-
6145.
    Advisory Committees' Information Lines: The CMS Advisory 
Committees' Information Line is 1-877-449-5659 (toll free) and (410) 
786-9379 (local).
    Web Sites: For additional information on APC meeting agendas and 
updates to the Panel's activities, search our Web site at: https://
www.cms.hhs.gov/faca/apc/default.asp. To obtain Charter copies, search 
our Web site at https://www.cms.hhs.gov/faca or e-mail the Panel DFO.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    The Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) 
(the Secretary) is required by section 1833(t)(9)(A) of the Social 
Security Act, as amended and redesignated by sections 201(h) and 
202(a)(2) of the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Balanced Budget 
Refinement Act of 1999 (Pub. L. 106-113), respectively, to establish 
and consult with an expert, outside advisory panel on APC groups. The 
APC Panel meets up to three times annually to review the APC groups and 
to provide technical advice to the Secretary and the Administrator of 
the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) (the 
Administrator) concerning the clinical integrity of the groups and 
their associated weights. All members must have technical expertise 
that will enable them to participate fully in the work of the Panel. 
The expertise encompasses hospital payment systems, hospital medical-
care delivery systems, outpatient payment requirements, APCs, 
Physicians' Current Procedural Terminology Codes (CPTs), the use and 
payment of drugs and medical devices in the outpatient setting, and 
other forms of relevant expertise. It is not necessary that any one 
member be an expert in all areas.
    We will consider the technical advice provided by the Panel as we 
prepare the final rule that updates the OPPS payment rates for the next 
calendar year. The Secretary re-chartered the Panel on November 1, 
2004.

II. Announcement of New Members

    The Panel may consist of a Chair and up to 15 representatives who 
are full-time employees (not consultants) of Medicare providers, which 
are subject to the OPPS. Panel members serve without compensation, 
according to an advance written agreement; however, travel, meals, 
lodging, and related expenses are reimbursed in accordance with 
standard Government travel regulations. CMS has a special interest for 
ensuring that women, minorities, and the physically challenged are 
adequately represented on the Panel.
    The Secretary, or his designee, appoints new members to the Panel 
from among those candidates determined to have the required expertise. 
New appointments are made in a manner that ensures a balanced 
membership.
    The Panel presently consists of the following members and a Chair:
     Edith Hambrick, M.D., J.D., Chair.
     Marilyn Bedell, M.S., R.N., O.C.N.
     Albert Brooks Einstein, Jr., M.D.
     Sandra J. Metzler, M.B.A., R.H.I.A., C.P.H.Q.
     Frank G. Opelka, M.D., F.A.C.S.
     Louis Potters, M.D., F.A.C.R.
     Lou Ann Schraffenberger, M.B.A., R.H.I.A., C.C.S.-P.
     Judie S. Snipes, R.N., M.B.A., F.A.C.H.E.
     Lynn R. Tomascik, R.N., M.S.N., C.N.A.A.
     Timothy Gene Tyler, Pharm.D.
    On February 25, 2005, we published a notice in the Federal Register 
(70 FR 9336) requesting nominations to the Panel to replace the six 
Panel members whose terms expired on March 31, 2005. In order to obtain 
additional nominees whose expertise matched the needs of the Panel, we 
published a second notice in the Federal Register on April 8, 2005 (70 
FR 18028) extending the deadline. As a result of these two notices, the 
six new 4-year appointments to the APC Panel effective August 17, 2005, 
and ending August 16, 2009, are as follows:
     Gloryanne Bryant, B.S., R.H.I.A., R.H.I.T., C.C.S.
     Hazel Kimmel, R.N., C.C.S., C.P.C.
     Thomas M. Munger, M.D., F.A.C.C.
     James V. Rawson, M.D.
     Kim Allan Williams, M.D., F.A.C.C., F.A.B.C.
     Robert Matthew Zwolak, M.D., Ph.D., F.A.C.S.

    Authority: Section 1833(t) of the Act (42 U.S.C. 1395l(t)). The 
Panel is governed by the provisions of Pub. L. 92-463, as amended (5 
U.S.C. Appendix 2).

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

    Dated: August 9, 2005.
Mark B. McClellan,
Administrator, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
[FR Doc. 05-16798 Filed 8-25-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-03-P