Medicare Program; Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) Technical Advisory Group (TAG) Meeting-May 1 Through May 2, 2006, 17888-17890 [06-3375]
Download as PDF
wwhite on PROD1PC61 with NOTICES
17888
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 67 / Friday, April 7, 2006 / Notices
programs. These record keeping
requirements are no different than other
conditions for coverage in that they
reflect comparable standards developed
by industry organizations such as the
Renal Physicians Association, American
Society of Transplant Surgeons, and the
National Association of Patients on
Hemodialysis and Transplantation.
With respect to reporting requirements,
the information is needed to assess and
ensure proper distribution and effective
utilization of ESRD treatment resources
while maintaining or improving quality
of care. It is CMS’s responsibility to
closely monitor ESRD service utilization
to prevent over-expansion of facilities
and resultant under-utilization.; Form
Number: CMS–R–52 (OMB#: 0938–
0386); Frequency: Recordkeeping and
Reporting—Annually; Affected Public:
Business or other for-profit and Federal
government; Number of Respondents:
4,757; Total Annual Responses: 4,757;
Total Annual Hours: 160,702.
2. Type of Information Collection
Request: Extension of a currently
approved collection; Title of
Information Collection: Medicare
Disproportionate Share Adjustment
Procedures and Criteria and Supporting
Regulations in 42 CFR 412.106; Use: A
hospital’s disproportionate share
adjustment is determined by its fiscal
intermediary (FI) using a combination of
Medicare Part A and Supplemental
Security Income data provided by CMS,
and Medicaid data calculated from the
hospital’s cost report. The data provided
through these calculations are then
compared to the qualifying criteria
located in 42 CFR 412.106 to determine
the final adjustment. If these
calculations, based on the Federal fiscal
year, do not allow the hospital to qualify
for a disproportionate share adjustment,
the hospital may request that the
calculations be performed using its cost
reporting period.; Form Number: CMS–
R–194 (OMB#: 0938–0691); Frequency:
Recordkeeping and Reporting—On
occasion; Affected Public: Business or
other for-profit and Not-for-profit
institutions; Number of Respondents:
100; Total Annual Responses: 100; Total
Annual Hours: 100.
To obtain copies of the supporting
statement and any related forms for the
proposed paperwork collections
referenced above, access CMS’ Web site
address at https://www.cms.hhs.gov/
PaperworkReductionActof1995, or Email your request, including your
address, phone number, OMB number,
and CMS document identifier, to
Paperwork@cms.hhs.gov, or call the
Reports Clearance Office on (410) 786–
1326.
VerDate Aug<31>2005
19:13 Apr 06, 2006
Jkt 208001
To be assured consideration,
comments and recommendations for the
proposed information collections must
be received at the address below, no
later than 5 p.m. on June 6, 2006. CMS,
Office of Strategic Operations and
Regulatory Affairs, Division of
Regulations Development—B, Attention:
William N. Parham, III, Room C4–26–
05, 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore,
Maryland 21244–1850.
Dated: March 30, 2006.
Michelle Shortt,
Director, Regulations Development Group,
Office of Strategic Operations and Regulatory
Affairs.
[FR Doc. E6–4947 Filed 4–6–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services
[CMS–1481–N]
Medicare Program; Emergency Medical
Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA)
Technical Advisory Group (TAG)
Meeting—May 1 Through May 2, 2006
Centers for Medicare &
Medicaid Services (CMS), HHS.
ACTION: Notice of meeting.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: In accordance with section
10(a) of the Federal Advisory Committee
Act (FACA) (5 U.S.C. Appendix 2), this
notice announces the fourth meeting of
the Emergency Medical Treatment and
Labor Act (EMTALA) Technical
Advisory Group (TAG). The purpose of
the EMTALA TAG is to review
regulations affecting hospital and
physician responsibilities under
EMTALA to individuals who come to a
hospital seeking examination or
treatment for medical conditions. The
primary purpose of the fourth meeting
is to enable the EMTALA TAG to hear
additional testimony and further
consider written responses from
medical societies and other
organizations on specific issues
considered by the TAG at previous
meetings. However, the public is
permitted to attend this meeting and, to
the extent that time permits and at the
discretion of the Chairperson, the
EMTALA TAG may hear comments
from the floor.
DATES: Meeting Date: The meetings of
the EMTALA TAG announced in this
notice are as follows:
Monday, May 1, 2006, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
e.s.t.
Tuesday, May 2, 2006, 9 a.m. to 5
p.m. e.s.t.
PO 00000
Frm 00084
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Registration Deadline: All individuals
must register in order to attend this
meeting. Individuals who wish to attend
the meeting but do not wish to present
testimony must register by April 24,
2006. Individuals who wish to attend
the meeting and to present their
testimony must register by April 10,
2006 and must submit copies of their
testimony in writing by April 17, 2006.
See Section IV for more detailed
registration instructions.
Comment Deadline: Written
comments/statements to be presented to
the EMTALA TAG must be received by
April 17, 2006.
Special Accommodations: Individuals
requiring sign-language interpretation or
other special accommodations should
send a request for these services to Eric
Ruiz by 5 p.m. on April 17, 2006 at the
address listed below.
ADDRESSES: Meeting Address: The
EMTALA TAG meeting will be held in
Room 800 of the Hubert Humphrey
Building, 200 Independence Avenue,
SW., Washington, DC 20001.
Mailing and E-mail Addresses for
Inquiries or Comments: Inquiries or
comments regarding this meeting may
be sent to—Eric Ruiz, Division of Acute
Care, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services, Mail Stop C4–08–06, 7500
Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD
21244–1850. Inquiries or comments may
also be emailed to
Eric.Ruiz@cms.hhs.gov or
EMTALATAG@cms.hhs.gov.
Web Site Address for Additional
Information: For additional information
on the EMTALA TAG meeting agenda
topics, updated activities, and to obtain
Charter copies, please search our
Internet Web site at (https://
www.cms.hhs.gov/faca/
07_emtalatag.asp).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Eric
Ruiz, (410) 786–0247. George Morey,
(410) 786–4653. Press inquiries are
handled through the CMS Press Office
at (202) 690–6145.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
Sections 1866(a)(1)(I), 1866(a)(1)(N),
and 1867 of the Social Security Act (the
Act) impose specific obligations on
Medicare-participating hospitals that
offer emergency services. These
obligations concern individuals who
come to a hospital emergency
department and request or have a
request made on their behalf for
examination or treatment for a medical
condition. The Emergency Medical
Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA)
applies to all these individuals,
regardless of whether or not they are
E:\FR\FM\07APN1.SGM
07APN1
wwhite on PROD1PC61 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 67 / Friday, April 7, 2006 / Notices
beneficiaries of any program under the
Act. Section 1867 of the Act sets forth
requirements for medical screening
examinations for emergency medical
conditions, as well as necessary
stabilizing treatment or appropriate
transfer.
Regulations implementing the
EMTALA legislation are set forth at 42
CFR 489.20(l), (m), (q) and (r) and
489.24. Section 945 of the Medicare
Prescription Drug, Improvement, and
Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA) (Pub.
L. 108–173), mandates that the Secretary
establish a Technical Advisory Group
(TAG) for advice concerning issues
related to EMTALA regulations and
implementation.
Section 945 of the MMA specifies that
the EMTALA TAG—
• Shall review the EMTALA
regulations;
• May provide advice and
recommendations to the Secretary
concerning these regulations and their
application to hospitals and physicians;
• Shall solicit comments and
recommendations from hospitals,
physicians, and the public regarding
implementation of such regulations; and
• May disseminate information
concerning the application of these
regulations to hospitals, physicians, and
the public.
The EMTALA TAG, as chartered
under section 945 of the MMA, is also
governed by the provisions of the
Federal Advisory Committee Act
(FACA) (5 U.S.C. Appendix 2) for the
selection of members and the conduct of
all meetings.
In the May 28, 2004 Federal Register
(69 FR 30654), we specified the
statutory requirements regarding the
charter, general responsibilities, and
structure of the EMTALA TAG. That
notice also solicited nominations for
members based on the statutory
requirements for the EMTALA TAG. In
the August 27, 2004 Federal Register
(69 FR 52699), we solicited nominations
again for members in two categories
(patient representatives and a State
survey agency representative) for which
no nominations were received in
response to the May 28, 2004 Federal
Register notice. In the March 15, 2005
Federal Register (70 FR 12691), we
announced the inaugural meeting of the
EMTALA TAG and the membership
selection. In the May 18, 2005 Federal
Register (70 FR 28541) and the
September 23, 2005 Federal Register (70
FR 55903) we announced the second
and third meetings of the EMTALA
TAG, respectively, with a purpose to
hear public testimony and consider
written responses from medical
societies and other organizations on
VerDate Aug<31>2005
19:13 Apr 06, 2006
Jkt 208001
specific issues considered by the
EMTALA TAG at its previous meetings.
The EMTALA TAG has established the
following three subcommittees:
• On-Call Subcommittee
(Chairperson, John Kusske, M.D.)
charged with reviewing the testimony
and other materials provided to the TAG
to identify some specific issues related
to on-call requirements.
• Action Subcommittee (Chairperson,
Julie Nelson, J.D.) charged with
identifying issues other than on-call
issues.
• Framework Subcommittee
(Chairperson, Charlotte Yeh, M.D.)
charged with clarifying the historical
context and conceptual basis for the
TAG s recommendations and
developing a document for review and
approval by the TAG.
II. Meeting Format, Agenda, and
Presentation Topics
A. Meeting Format
The initial portion of the meeting will
convene at 9 a.m. on May 1, will involve
opening remarks, and will be followed
by a limited period of public testimony
on issues related to EMTALA and its
implementation. TAG members will
have the opportunity to ask questions,
prioritize the topics presented, and to
conduct other necessary business. At
the conclusion of each day’s meeting, to
the extent that time is available and at
the discretion of the Chairperson, the
public will be permitted a reasonable
time to comment on issues being
considered by the TAG.
B. Tentative Meeting Agenda
The tentative agenda for the EMTALA
TAG meetings is as follows:
Day 1—Convenes at 9 a.m.
• Welcome, Call to Order, and Opening
Remarks.
• Administrative and Housekeeping
Issues.
• Public Testimony on issues related to
EMTALA and its implementation.
• Subcommitte Reports.
• Public Comment.
Day 2—Convenes at 9 a.m.
• Subcommittee Reports (cont.).
• Public Comment.
C. Public Presentations
Only individuals who register and
submit written testimony as specified in
the Security Information section of this
notice will be considered registered
presenters. The time allotted for each
presentation will be approximately 5
minutes and will be based on the
number of registered presenters.
Presenters will speak in their assigned
order. If registered presenters are not
PO 00000
Frm 00085
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
17889
given an opportunity to speak because
of time restrictions, we will accept and
present their written testimony to the
TAG members. Comments from other
participants (individuals who are not
registered presenters) may be heard after
the scheduled testimonies, if time
permits.
If there are individuals who cannot
attend the meeting but wish to submit
comments/statements regarding issues
related to the EMTALA TAG, we will
accept and present their written
comments/statements at the meeting if
their comments/statements are received
by postal mail or email at the address
listed in the ADDRESSES section of this
notice by April 17, 2006.
III. Registration Instructions
The Center for Medicare Management
of CMS is coordinating meeting
registration. While there is no
registration fee, all individuals must
register to attend due to limited seating.
As specified in the DATES section of this
notice, individuals who wish to attend
the meeting but do not plan to present
testimony must register by April 24,
2006. Individuals who would like both
to attend and to present testimony on
issues relating to the EMTALA TAG
must register by April 10, 2006 and
must state specifically in their
registration request that they wish to
present testimony for EMTALA TAG
consideration. A copy of the presenter’s
written testimony must be received by
CMS at the address specified in the
ADDRESSES section of this notice by
April 17, 2006.
You may register by e-mail to
Marianne Myers at
Marianne.Myers@cms.hhs.gov, by fax to
the attention of Marianne Myers at (410)
786–0681, or by telephone at (410) 786–
5962. All registration requests must
include your name, name of the
organization (if applicable), address,
telephone and fax numbers, e-mail
address (if available). Individuals will
receive a registration confirmation with
instructions for your arrival at the
Hubert Humphrey Building. If seating
capacity has been reached, registrants
will be notified that the meeting has
reached capacity. All registrants are
asked to arrive at the Hubert Humphrey
Building no later than 20 minutes before
the scheduled starting time of each
meeting session they wish to attend.
V. Security Information
Since this meeting will be held in a
Federal government building, Federal
security measures are applicable. As
noted above, in planning your arrival
time, we recommend allowing
additional time to clear security. In
E:\FR\FM\07APN1.SGM
07APN1
17890
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 67 / Friday, April 7, 2006 / Notices
order to gain access to the building,
participants must bring a governmentissued photo identification such as a
driver’s license or a passport and a copy
of your registration information for the
meeting. Access may be denied to
persons without proper identification.
All persons entering the building
must pass through a metal detector. In
addition, all items brought to CMS,
whether personal or for the purpose of
demonstration or to support a
presentation, are subject to inspection.
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.
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
Program No. 93.773, Medicare—Hospital
Insurance; and Program No. 93.774,
Medicare—Supplementary Medical
Insurance Program.)
Authority: Section 945 of the Medicare
Prescription Drug, Improvement, and
Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA).
Proposed Projects
Title: 45 CFR 1303—Appeal
Procedures for Head Start Grantees and
Dated: April 4, 2006.
Mark B. McClellan,
Administrator, Centers for Medicare &
Medicaid Services.
[FR Doc. 06–3375 Filed 4–6–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
Administration for Children and
Families
Proposed Information Collection
Activity; Comment Request
Current or Prospective Delegate
Agencies.
OMB No. 0980–0242.
Description: Section 646 of the Head
Start Act requires the Secretary to
prescribe a timeline for conducting
administrative hearings when adverse
actions are taken or proposed against
Head Start or Early Head Start grantees
or delegate agencies. The Head Start
Bureau is proposing to renew without
changes the rule that implements these
requirements and that prescribes when
a grantee must submit information and
what that information should include to
support a contention that adverse action
should not be taken.
Respondents: Head Start and Early
Head Start grantees and delegate
agencies against which the Head Start
Bureau has taken or proposes to take
adverse actions.
ANNUAL BURDEN ESTIMATES
Number of respondents
Instrument
Number of responses per
respondent
Average burden hours per
response
20
1
26
wwhite on PROD1PC61 with NOTICES
45 CFR 1303—Appeal Procedures for Head Start Grantees and Current or
Prospective Delegate Agencies ...................................................................
Estimated Total Annual Burden
Hours: 520.
In compliance with the requirements
of Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the
Administration for Children and
Families is soliciting public comment
on the specific aspects of the
information collection described above.
Copies of the proposed collection of
information can be obtained and
comments may be forwarded by writing
to the Administration for Children and
Families, Office of Information Services,
370 L’Infant Promenade, SW.,
Washington, DC 20447, Attn: ACF
Reports Clearance Officer. E-mail:
infocollection@acf.hhs.gov. All requests
should be identified by the title of the
information collection.
The Department specifically requests
comments on: (a) Whether the proposed
collection of information is necessary
for the proper performance of the
functions of the agency, including
whether the information shall have
practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the
agency’s estimate of the burden of the
proposed collection of information; (c)
the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected; and (d)
ways to minimize the burden of the
collection of information on
respondents, including through the use
VerDate Aug<31>2005
19:13 Apr 06, 2006
Jkt 208001
of automated collection techniques or
other forms of information technology.
Consideration will be given to
comments and suggestions submitted
within 60 days of this publication.
Dated: April 3, 2006.
Robert Sargis,
Reports Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 06–3347 Filed 4–6–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184–01–M
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
Administration for Children and
Families
Submission for OMB Review;
Comment Request
Title: Supporting Healthy Marriage
(SHM) Project Baseline Data Collection.
OMB No.: New Collection.
Description: The Administration for
Children and Families (ACF), U.S.
Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS), is conducting a
demonstration and evaluation called the
Supporting Healthy Marriage (SHM)
Project. Based on a substantial body of
research that has shown a relationship
between healthy marriages and a variety
of positive child and family outcomes,
PO 00000
Frm 00086
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Total burden
hours
520
the project is a large-scale, multi-site,
multi-year, rigorous test of marriage
education programs for interested lowincome married couples with children.
The SHM Project is designed to inform
program operators and policymakers of
the most effective ways to help couples
who voluntarily choose to participate in
demonstrations designed to strengthen
and maintain healthy marriages.
The baseline data collection will serve
several key functions in the SHM study.
It will help describe the population
being served, which will be useful to the
programs themselves, to other marriage
education program providers, and to
policymakers who seek to understand
the characteristics of couples that are
interested in marriage education
services. It will allow the SHM team to
define and conduct analyses of key subgroups, addressing the key study
question of who benefits most and least
from marriage education services. A
baseline data collection will also
increase the precision of estimated
impacts and allow the research team to
conduct analyses using pre- and postintervention measures. Lastly, the
baseline data collection is an
opportunity to collect participant
contact information, to check the
validity of random assignment, and to
E:\FR\FM\07APN1.SGM
07APN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 67 (Friday, April 7, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17888-17890]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-3375]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
[CMS-1481-N]
Medicare Program; Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act
(EMTALA) Technical Advisory Group (TAG) Meeting--May 1 Through May 2,
2006
AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), HHS.
ACTION: Notice of meeting.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In accordance with section 10(a) of the Federal Advisory
Committee Act (FACA) (5 U.S.C. Appendix 2), this notice announces the
fourth meeting of the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act
(EMTALA) Technical Advisory Group (TAG). The purpose of the EMTALA TAG
is to review regulations affecting hospital and physician
responsibilities under EMTALA to individuals who come to a hospital
seeking examination or treatment for medical conditions. The primary
purpose of the fourth meeting is to enable the EMTALA TAG to hear
additional testimony and further consider written responses from
medical societies and other organizations on specific issues considered
by the TAG at previous meetings. However, the public is permitted to
attend this meeting and, to the extent that time permits and at the
discretion of the Chairperson, the EMTALA TAG may hear comments from
the floor.
DATES: Meeting Date: The meetings of the EMTALA TAG announced in this
notice are as follows:
Monday, May 1, 2006, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. e.s.t.
Tuesday, May 2, 2006, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. e.s.t.
Registration Deadline: All individuals must register in order to
attend this meeting. Individuals who wish to attend the meeting but do
not wish to present testimony must register by April 24, 2006.
Individuals who wish to attend the meeting and to present their
testimony must register by April 10, 2006 and must submit copies of
their testimony in writing by April 17, 2006. See Section IV for more
detailed registration instructions.
Comment Deadline: Written comments/statements to be presented to
the EMTALA TAG must be received by April 17, 2006.
Special Accommodations: Individuals requiring sign-language
interpretation or other special accommodations should send a request
for these services to Eric Ruiz by 5 p.m. on April 17, 2006 at the
address listed below.
ADDRESSES: Meeting Address: The EMTALA TAG meeting will be held in Room
800 of the Hubert Humphrey Building, 200 Independence Avenue, SW.,
Washington, DC 20001.
Mailing and E-mail Addresses for Inquiries or Comments: Inquiries
or comments regarding this meeting may be sent to--Eric Ruiz, Division
of Acute Care, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Mail Stop C4-
08-06, 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21244-1850. Inquiries or
comments may also be emailed to Eric.Ruiz@cms.hhs.gov or
EMTALATAG@cms.hhs.gov.
Web Site Address for Additional Information: For additional
information on the EMTALA TAG meeting agenda topics, updated
activities, and to obtain Charter copies, please search our Internet
Web site at (https://www.cms.hhs.gov/faca/07_emtalatag.asp).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Eric Ruiz, (410) 786-0247. George
Morey, (410) 786-4653. Press inquiries are handled through the CMS
Press Office at (202) 690-6145.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
Sections 1866(a)(1)(I), 1866(a)(1)(N), and 1867 of the Social
Security Act (the Act) impose specific obligations on Medicare-
participating hospitals that offer emergency services. These
obligations concern individuals who come to a hospital emergency
department and request or have a request made on their behalf for
examination or treatment for a medical condition. The Emergency Medical
Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) applies to all these individuals,
regardless of whether or not they are
[[Page 17889]]
beneficiaries of any program under the Act. Section 1867 of the Act
sets forth requirements for medical screening examinations for
emergency medical conditions, as well as necessary stabilizing
treatment or appropriate transfer.
Regulations implementing the EMTALA legislation are set forth at 42
CFR 489.20(l), (m), (q) and (r) and 489.24. Section 945 of the Medicare
Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA)
(Pub. L. 108-173), mandates that the Secretary establish a Technical
Advisory Group (TAG) for advice concerning issues related to EMTALA
regulations and implementation.
Section 945 of the MMA specifies that the EMTALA TAG--
Shall review the EMTALA regulations;
May provide advice and recommendations to the Secretary
concerning these regulations and their application to hospitals and
physicians;
Shall solicit comments and recommendations from hospitals,
physicians, and the public regarding implementation of such
regulations; and
May disseminate information concerning the application of
these regulations to hospitals, physicians, and the public.
The EMTALA TAG, as chartered under section 945 of the MMA, is also
governed by the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA)
(5 U.S.C. Appendix 2) for the selection of members and the conduct of
all meetings.
In the May 28, 2004 Federal Register (69 FR 30654), we specified
the statutory requirements regarding the charter, general
responsibilities, and structure of the EMTALA TAG. That notice also
solicited nominations for members based on the statutory requirements
for the EMTALA TAG. In the August 27, 2004 Federal Register (69 FR
52699), we solicited nominations again for members in two categories
(patient representatives and a State survey agency representative) for
which no nominations were received in response to the May 28, 2004
Federal Register notice. In the March 15, 2005 Federal Register (70 FR
12691), we announced the inaugural meeting of the EMTALA TAG and the
membership selection. In the May 18, 2005 Federal Register (70 FR
28541) and the September 23, 2005 Federal Register (70 FR 55903) we
announced the second and third meetings of the EMTALA TAG,
respectively, with a purpose to hear public testimony and consider
written responses from medical societies and other organizations on
specific issues considered by the EMTALA TAG at its previous meetings.
The EMTALA TAG has established the following three subcommittees:
On-Call Subcommittee (Chairperson, John Kusske, M.D.)
charged with reviewing the testimony and other materials provided to
the TAG to identify some specific issues related to on-call
requirements.
Action Subcommittee (Chairperson, Julie Nelson, J.D.)
charged with identifying issues other than on-call issues.
Framework Subcommittee (Chairperson, Charlotte Yeh, M.D.)
charged with clarifying the historical context and conceptual basis for
the TAG s recommendations and developing a document for review and
approval by the TAG.
II. Meeting Format, Agenda, and Presentation Topics
A. Meeting Format
The initial portion of the meeting will convene at 9 a.m. on May 1,
will involve opening remarks, and will be followed by a limited period
of public testimony on issues related to EMTALA and its implementation.
TAG members will have the opportunity to ask questions, prioritize the
topics presented, and to conduct other necessary business. At the
conclusion of each day's meeting, to the extent that time is available
and at the discretion of the Chairperson, the public will be permitted
a reasonable time to comment on issues being considered by the TAG.
B. Tentative Meeting Agenda
The tentative agenda for the EMTALA TAG meetings is as follows:
Day 1--Convenes at 9 a.m.
Welcome, Call to Order, and Opening Remarks.
Administrative and Housekeeping Issues.
Public Testimony on issues related to EMTALA and its
implementation.
Subcommitte Reports.
Public Comment.
Day 2--Convenes at 9 a.m.
Subcommittee Reports (cont.).
Public Comment.
C. Public Presentations
Only individuals who register and submit written testimony as
specified in the Security Information section of this notice will be
considered registered presenters. The time allotted for each
presentation will be approximately 5 minutes and will be based on the
number of registered presenters. Presenters will speak in their
assigned order. If registered presenters are not given an opportunity
to speak because of time restrictions, we will accept and present their
written testimony to the TAG members. Comments from other participants
(individuals who are not registered presenters) may be heard after the
scheduled testimonies, if time permits.
If there are individuals who cannot attend the meeting but wish to
submit comments/statements regarding issues related to the EMTALA TAG,
we will accept and present their written comments/statements at the
meeting if their comments/statements are received by postal mail or
email at the address listed in the ADDRESSES section of this notice by
April 17, 2006.
III. Registration Instructions
The Center for Medicare Management of CMS is coordinating meeting
registration. While there is no registration fee, all individuals must
register to attend due to limited seating. As specified in the DATES
section of this notice, individuals who wish to attend the meeting but
do not plan to present testimony must register by April 24, 2006.
Individuals who would like both to attend and to present testimony on
issues relating to the EMTALA TAG must register by April 10, 2006 and
must state specifically in their registration request that they wish to
present testimony for EMTALA TAG consideration. A copy of the
presenter's written testimony must be received by CMS at the address
specified in the ADDRESSES section of this notice by April 17, 2006.
You may register by e-mail to Marianne Myers at
Marianne.Myers@cms.hhs.gov, by fax to the attention of Marianne Myers
at (410) 786-0681, or by telephone at (410) 786-5962. All registration
requests must include your name, name of the organization (if
applicable), address, telephone and fax numbers, e-mail address (if
available). Individuals will receive a registration confirmation with
instructions for your arrival at the Hubert Humphrey Building. If
seating capacity has been reached, registrants will be notified that
the meeting has reached capacity. All registrants are asked to arrive
at the Hubert Humphrey Building no later than 20 minutes before the
scheduled starting time of each meeting session they wish to attend.
V. Security Information
Since this meeting will be held in a Federal government building,
Federal security measures are applicable. As noted above, in planning
your arrival time, we recommend allowing additional time to clear
security. In
[[Page 17890]]
order to gain access to the building, participants must bring a
government-issued photo identification such as a driver's license or a
passport and a copy of your registration information for the meeting.
Access may be denied to persons without proper identification.
All persons entering the building must pass through a metal
detector. In addition, all items brought to CMS, whether personal or
for the purpose of demonstration or to support a presentation, are
subject to inspection. 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.
Authority: Section 945 of the Medicare Prescription Drug,
Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA).
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program No. 93.773,
Medicare--Hospital Insurance; and Program No. 93.774, Medicare--
Supplementary Medical Insurance Program.)
Dated: April 4, 2006.
Mark B. McClellan,
Administrator, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
[FR Doc. 06-3375 Filed 4-6-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-01-P