Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Renewal of Deeming Authority of the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care, Inc. for Medicare Advantage Health Maintenance Organizations and Local Preferred Provider Organizations, 19290-19292 [2012-7701]
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19290
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 62 / Friday, March 30, 2012 / Notices
• A description of the organization’s
procedures for responding to and
investigating complaints against
accredited organizations, including
policies and procedures regarding
coordination of these activities with
appropriate licensing bodies and
ombudsmen programs.
• A description of the organization’s
policies and procedures with respect to
the withholding or removal of
accreditation for failure to meet the
accreditation organization’s standards or
requirements, and other actions the
organization takes in response to
noncompliance with its standards and
requirements.
• A description of all types (for
example, full, partial) and categories (for
example, provisional, conditional,
temporary) of accreditation offered by
the organization, the duration of each
type and category of accreditation and a
statement identifying the types and
categories that would serve as a basis for
accreditation if CMS approves the
accreditation organization.
• A list of all currently accredited MA
organizations and the type, category,
and expiration date of the accreditation
held by each of them.
• A list of all full and partial
accreditation surveys scheduled to be
performed by the accreditation
organization as requested by CMS.
• The name and address of each
person with an ownership or control
interest in the accreditation
organization.
• We will also consider URAC’s past
performance in the deeming program
and results of recent deeming validation
reviews, or look-behind audits
conducted as part of continuing Federal
oversight of the deeming program under
§ 422.157(d).
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
B. Notice Upon Completion of
Evaluation
Upon completion of our evaluation,
including evaluation of comments
received as a result of this notice, we
will publish a notice in the Federal
Register announcing the result of our
evaluation.
Section 1852(e)(4)(C) of the Act
provides a statutory timetable to ensure
that our review of deeming applications
is conducted in a timely manner. The
Act provides us with 210 calendar days
after the date of receipt of an application
to complete our survey activities and
application review process. At the end
of the 210 day period, we must publish
an approval or denial of the application
in the Federal Register.
VerDate Mar<15>2010
19:11 Mar 29, 2012
Jkt 226001
III. Collection of Information
Requirements
This document does not impose
information collection and
recordkeeping requirements.
Consequently, it need not be reviewed
by the Office of Management and
Budget under the authority of the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.
IV. Response to Comments
Because of the large number of public
comments we normally receive on
Federal Register documents, we are not
able to acknowledge or respond to them
individually. We will consider all
comments we receive by the date and
time specified in the DATES section of
this preamble, and, when we proceed
with a subsequent document, we will
respond to the comments in the
preamble to that document.
Authority: Section 1865 of the Social
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395bb).
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
Program No. 93.773 Medicare—Hospital
Insurance Program; and No. 93.774,
Medicare-Supplementary Medical Insurance
Program)
Dated: March 23, 2012.
Marilyn Tavenner,
Acting CMS Administrator, Centers for
Medicare & Medicaid Services.
[FR Doc. 2012–7699 Filed 3–29–12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services
[CMS–4166–PN]
Medicare and Medicaid Programs;
Renewal of Deeming Authority of the
Accreditation Association for
Ambulatory Health Care, Inc. for
Medicare Advantage Health
Maintenance Organizations and Local
Preferred Provider Organizations
Centers for Medicare &
Medicaid Services (CMS), HHS.
ACTION: Proposed notice.
AGENCY:
This notice announces our
proposal to renew the Medicare
Advantage ‘‘deeming authority’’ of the
Accreditation Association for
Ambulatory Health Care, Inc. (AAAHC)
for Health Maintenance Organizations
and Preferred Provider Organizations for
a term of 6 years. This new term of
approval would begin July 11, 2012, and
end July 10, 2018. This notice
announces a 30-day period for public
SUMMARY:
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comments on the renewal of the
application.
DATES: To be assured consideration,
comments must be received at one of
the addresses provided below, no later
than 5 p.m. on April 30, 2012.
ADDRESSES: In commenting, please refer
to file code CMS–4166–PN. Because of
staff and resource limitations, we cannot
accept comments by facsimile (FAX)
transmission.
You may submit comments in one of
four ways (please choose only one of the
ways listed):
1. Electronically. You may submit
electronic comments on this regulation
to https://www.regulations.gov. Follow
the ‘‘Submit a comment’’ instructions.
2. By regular mail. You may mail
written comments to the following
address ONLY: Centers for Medicare &
Medicaid Services, Department of
Health and Human Services, Attention:
CMS–4166–PN, P.O. Box 8016,
Baltimore, MD 21244–8016.
Please allow sufficient time for mailed
comments to be received before the
close of the comment period.
3. By express or overnight mail. You
may send written comments to the
following address ONLY: Centers for
Medicare & Medicaid Services,
Department of Health and Human
Services, Attention: CMS–4166–PN,
Mail Stop C4–26–05, 7500 Security
Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21244–1850.
4. By hand or courier. If you prefer,
you may deliver (by hand or courier)
your written comments before the close
of the comment period to either of the
following addresses:
a. For delivery in Washington, DC—
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services, Department of Health and
Human Services, Room 445–G, Hubert
H. Humphrey Building, 200
Independence Avenue SW.,
Washington, DC 20201.
(Because access to the interior of the
Hubert H. Humphrey Building is not
readily available to persons without
Federal government identification,
commenters are encouraged to leave
their comments in the CMS drop slots
located in the main lobby of the
building. A stamp-in clock is available
for persons wishing to retain a proof of
filing by stamping in and retaining an
extra copy of the comments being filed.)
b. For delivery in Baltimore, MD—
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services, Department of Health and
Human Services, 7500 Security
Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21244–1850.
If you intend to deliver your
comments to the Baltimore address,
please call telephone number (410) 786–
0361 in advance to schedule your
arrival with one of our staff members.
E:\FR\FM\30MRN1.SGM
30MRN1
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 62 / Friday, March 30, 2012 / Notices
Comments mailed to the addresses
indicated as appropriate for hand or
courier delivery may be delayed and
received after the comment period.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Caroline Baker, (410) 786–0116; or
Edgar Gallardo, (410) 786–0361.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Inspection of Public Comments: All
comments received before the close of
the comment period are available for
viewing by the public, including any
personally identifiable or confidential
business information that is included in
a comment. We post all comments
received before the close of the
comment period on the following Web
site as soon as possible after they have
been received: https://
www.regulations.gov. Follow the search
instructions on that Web site to view
public comments.
Comments received timely will also
be available for public inspection as
they are received, generally beginning
approximately 3 weeks after publication
of a document, at the headquarters of
the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services, 7500 Security Boulevard,
Baltimore, Maryland 21244, Monday
through Friday of each week from 8:30
a.m. to 4 p.m. To schedule an
appointment to view public comments,
phone 1–800–743–3951.
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
I. Background
Under the Medicare program, eligible
beneficiaries may receive covered
services through a Medicare Advantage
(MA) organization that contracts with
CMS. The regulations specifying the
Medicare requirements that must be met
for a Medicare Advantage Organization
(MAO) to enter into a contract with
CMS are located at 42 CFR part 422.
These regulations implement Part C of
Title XVIII of the Social Security Act
(the Act), which specifies the services
that an MAO must provide and the
requirements that the organization must
meet to be an MA contractor. Other
relevant sections of the Act are Parts A
and B of Title XVIII and Part A of Title
XI pertaining to the provision of
services by Medicare-certified providers
and suppliers. Generally, for an entity to
be an MA organization, the organization
must be licensed by the State as a riskbearing organization as set forth in part
422.
As a method of assuring compliance
with certain Medicare requirements, an
MA organization may choose to become
accredited by a CMS-approved
accrediting organization (AO). Once
accredited by such a CMS-approved AO,
we deem the MA organization to be
compliant in one or more of six
VerDate Mar<15>2010
20:51 Mar 29, 2012
Jkt 226001
requirements set forth in section
1852(e)(4)(B) of the Act. For an AO to
be able to ‘‘deem’’ an MA plan as
compliant with these MA requirements,
the AO must prove to CMS that its
standards are at least as stringent as
Medicare requirements. Health
maintenance organizations (HMOs) or
preferred provider organizations (PPOs)
accredited by an approved accrediting
organization may receive, at their
request, ‘‘deemed’’ status for CMS
requirements with respect to the
following six MA criteria: Quality
Improvement; Antidiscrimination;
Access to Services; Confidentiality and
Accuracy of Enrollee Records;
Information on Advanced Directives;
and Provider Participation Rules. (See
42 CFR 422.156(b)). At this time,
recognition of accreditation does not
include the Part D areas of review set
out at § 423.165(b). AOs that apply for
MA deeming authority are generally
recognized by the health care industry
as entities that accredit HMOs and
PPOs. As we specify at
§ 422.157(b)(2)(ii), the term for which an
AO may be approved by CMS may not
exceed 6 years. For continuing approval,
the AO must apply to CMS to renew its
‘‘deeming authority’’ for a subsequent
approval period.
The Accreditation Association for
Ambulatory Health Care, Inc. (AAAHC)
was approved as a CMS-approved
accreditation organization for MA
HMOs and PPOs on July 12, 2006, and
that term will expire on July 11, 2012.
On December 14, 2011, AAAHC
submitted an application to renew its
deeming authority. On that same date,
AAAHC submitted materials requested
from CMS which included updates and/
or changes to items set out in Federal
regulations at § 422.158(a) that are
prerequisites for receiving accreditation
program approval by CMS, and which
were furnished to CMS by AAAHC as a
part of their renewal applications for
HMOs and PPOs.
II. Provisions of the Proposed Notice
The purpose of this notice is to notify
the public of the AAAHC’s request to
renew its Medicare Advantage deeming
authority for HMOs and PPOs. AAAHC
submitted all the necessary materials
(including its standards and monitoring
protocol) to enable us to make a
determination concerning its request for
approval as an accreditation
organization for CMS. This renewal
application was determined to be
complete on February 6, 2012. Under
section 1852(e)(4) of the Act and our
regulations at § 422.158 (Federal review
of accrediting organizations), our review
and evaluation of AAAHC will include,
PO 00000
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
19291
but not necessarily be limited to, the
following components:
A. Components of the Review Process
• The types of MA plans that it would
review as part of its accreditation
process.
• A detailed comparison of the
organization’s accreditation
requirements and standards with the
Medicare requirements (for example, a
crosswalk).
• Detailed information about the
organization’s survey process, including
the following—
++ Frequency of surveys and whether
surveys are announced or unannounced.
++ Copies of survey forms, and
guidelines and instructions to
surveyors.
++ Descriptions of—
—The survey review process and the
accreditation status decision making
process;
—The procedures used to notify
accredited MA organizations of
deficiencies and to monitor the
correction of those deficiencies; and
—The procedures used to enforce
compliance with accreditation
requirements.
• Detailed information about the
individuals who perform surveys for the
accreditation organization, including
the following—
++ The size and composition of
accreditation survey teams for each type
of plan reviewed as part of the
accreditation process;
++ The education and experience
requirements surveyors must meet;
++ The content and frequency of the
in-service training provided to survey
personnel;
++ The evaluation systems used to
monitor the performance of individual
surveyors and survey teams; and
++ The organization’s policies and
practice with respect to the
participation, in surveys or in the
accreditation decision process by an
individual who is professionally or
financially affiliated with the entity
being surveyed.
• A description of the organization’s
data management and analysis system
with respect to its surveys and
accreditation decisions, including the
kinds of reports, tables, and other
displays generated by that system.
• A description of the organization’s
procedures for responding to and
investigating complaints against
accredited organizations, including
policies and procedures regarding
coordination of these activities with
appropriate licensing bodies and
ombudsmen programs.
• A description of the organization’s
policies and procedures with respect to
E:\FR\FM\30MRN1.SGM
30MRN1
19292
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 62 / Friday, March 30, 2012 / Notices
the withholding or removal of
accreditation for failure to meet the
accreditation organization’s standards or
requirements, and other actions the
organization takes in response to
noncompliance with its standards and
requirements.
• A description of all types (for
example, full, partial) and categories (for
example, provisional, conditional,
temporary) of accreditation offered by
the organization, the duration of each
type and category of accreditation and a
statement identifying the types and
categories that would serve as a basis for
accreditation if CMS approves the
accreditation organization.
• A list of all currently accredited MA
organizations and the type, category,
and expiration date of the accreditation
held by each of them.
• A list of all full and partial
accreditation surveys scheduled to be
performed by the accreditation
organization as requested by CMS.
• The name and address of each
person with an ownership or control
interest in the accreditation
organization.
• CMS will also consider AAAHC’s
past performance in the deeming
program and results of recent deeming
validation reviews, or look-behind
audits conducted as part of continuing
Federal oversight of the deeming
program under § 422.157(d).
B. Notice Upon Completion of
Evaluation
Section 1852(e)(4)(C) of the Act
provides a statutory timetable to ensure
that our review of deeming applications
is conducted in a timely manner. The
Act provides us with 210 calendar days
after the date of receipt of an application
to complete our survey activities and
application review process. At the end
of the 210 day period, we must publish
an approval or denial of the application
in the Federal Register.
III. Collection of Information
Requirements
This document does not impose
information collection and
recordkeeping requirements.
Consequently, it need not be reviewed
by the Office of Management and
Budget under the authority of the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.
IV. Response to Comments
Because of the large number of public
comments we normally receive on
Federal Register documents, we are not
able to acknowledge or respond to them
individually. We will consider all
comments we receive by the date and
time specified in the DATES section of
this preamble, and, when we proceed
with a subsequent document, we will
respond to the comments in the
preamble to that document.
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
Program No. 93.773 Medicare-Hospital
Insurance Program; and No. 93.774,
Medicare-Supplementary Medical Insurance
Program)
Dated: March 23, 2012.
Marilyn Tavenner,
Acting CMS Administrator, Centers for
Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Upon completion of our evaluation,
including evaluation of comments
received as a result of this notice, we
will publish a notice in the Federal
Register announcing the result of our
evaluation.
[FR Doc. 2012–7701 Filed 3–29–12; 8:45 am]
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
Administration for Children and
Families
Submission for OMB Review;
Comment Request
Title: Protection and Advocacy (P&A)
Voting Access Annual Report.
OMB No.: 0970–0326.
Description: This is a revision of the
annual report for the previously cleared
Help America Vote Act (HAVA) Annual
report.
By Federal statute (the Help America
Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002, Public Law
107–252, Section 265(b), Reports, 42
U.S.C. 15461) the governing agency is
mandated to submit a report to the
Committee on House Administration of
the House of Representatives and the
Committee on Rules and Administration
of the Senate. As a result of the
mandate, each State Protection &
Advocacy (P&A) System receiving funds
and activities carried out under HAVA
Section 291 are requested to prepare an
annual in accordance with the grant
terms and conditions. The purpose of
the annual report is to obtain
information from each state/territory to
use in the Congressional report
submitted by the Secretary of the U.S.
Department of Health and Human
Services.
Respondents: Protection & Advocacy
Systems—All States, the District of
Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin
Islands, American Samoa, and Guam.
BILLING CODE 4120–01–P
ANNUAL BURDEN ESTIMATES
Number of
respondents
Number of
responses per
respondent
Average
burden hours
per response
Total burden
hours
Protection and Advocacy (P&A) Voting Access Annual Report ......................
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Instrument
55
1
20
1,100
Estimated Total Annual Burden
Hours: 1,100.
Additional Information: Copies of the
proposed collection may be obtained by
writing to the Administration for
Children and Families, Office of
Planning, Research and Evaluation, 370
L’Enfant Promenade SW., Washington,
DC 20447, Attn: ACF Reports Clearance
Officer. All requests should be
identified by the title of the information
collection. Email address:
infocollection@acf.hhs.gov.
VerDate Mar<15>2010
19:11 Mar 29, 2012
Jkt 226001
OMB Comment: OMB is required to
make a decision concerning the
collection of information between 30
and 60 days after publication of this
document in the Federal Register.
Therefore, a comment is best assured of
having its full effect if OMB receives it
within 30 days of publication. Written
comments and recommendations for the
proposed information collection should
be sent directly to the following: Office
of Management and Budget, Paperwork
Reduction Project, Fax: 202–395–7285,
Email:
PO 00000
Frm 00116
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 9990
OIRA_SUBMISSION@OMB.EOP.GOV,
Attn: Desk Officer for the
Administration for Children and
Families.
Robert Sargis,
Reports Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2012–7708 Filed 3–29–12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184–01–P
E:\FR\FM\30MRN1.SGM
30MRN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 62 (Friday, March 30, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19290-19292]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-7701]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
[CMS-4166-PN]
Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Renewal of Deeming Authority of
the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care, Inc. for
Medicare Advantage Health Maintenance Organizations and Local Preferred
Provider Organizations
AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), HHS.
ACTION: Proposed notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: This notice announces our proposal to renew the Medicare
Advantage ``deeming authority'' of the Accreditation Association for
Ambulatory Health Care, Inc. (AAAHC) for Health Maintenance
Organizations and Preferred Provider Organizations for a term of 6
years. This new term of approval would begin July 11, 2012, and end
July 10, 2018. This notice announces a 30-day period for public
comments on the renewal of the application.
DATES: To be assured consideration, comments must be received at one of
the addresses provided below, no later than 5 p.m. on April 30, 2012.
ADDRESSES: In commenting, please refer to file code CMS-4166-PN.
Because of staff and resource limitations, we cannot accept comments by
facsimile (FAX) transmission.
You may submit comments in one of four ways (please choose only one
of the ways listed):
1. Electronically. You may submit electronic comments on this
regulation to https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the ``Submit a
comment'' instructions.
2. By regular mail. You may mail written comments to the following
address ONLY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Department of
Health and Human Services, Attention: CMS-4166-PN, P.O. Box 8016,
Baltimore, MD 21244-8016.
Please allow sufficient time for mailed comments to be received
before the close of the comment period.
3. By express or overnight mail. You may send written comments to
the following address ONLY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services,
Department of Health and Human Services, Attention: CMS-4166-PN, Mail
Stop C4-26-05, 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21244-1850.
4. By hand or courier. If you prefer, you may deliver (by hand or
courier) your written comments before the close of the comment period
to either of the following addresses:
a. For delivery in Washington, DC--Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services, Department of Health and Human Services, Room 445-G, Hubert
H. Humphrey Building, 200 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC
20201.
(Because access to the interior of the Hubert H. Humphrey Building
is not readily available to persons without Federal government
identification, commenters are encouraged to leave their comments in
the CMS drop slots located in the main lobby of the building. A stamp-
in clock is available for persons wishing to retain a proof of filing
by stamping in and retaining an extra copy of the comments being
filed.)
b. For delivery in Baltimore, MD--Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services, Department of Health and Human Services, 7500 Security
Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21244-1850.
If you intend to deliver your comments to the Baltimore address,
please call telephone number (410) 786-0361 in advance to schedule your
arrival with one of our staff members.
[[Page 19291]]
Comments mailed to the addresses indicated as appropriate for hand
or courier delivery may be delayed and received after the comment
period.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Caroline Baker, (410) 786-0116; or
Edgar Gallardo, (410) 786-0361.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Inspection of Public Comments: All comments received before the
close of the comment period are available for viewing by the public,
including any personally identifiable or confidential business
information that is included in a comment. We post all comments
received before the close of the comment period on the following Web
site as soon as possible after they have been received: https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the search instructions on that Web site to
view public comments.
Comments received timely will also be available for public
inspection as they are received, generally beginning approximately 3
weeks after publication of a document, at the headquarters of the
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 7500 Security Boulevard,
Baltimore, Maryland 21244, Monday through Friday of each week from 8:30
a.m. to 4 p.m. To schedule an appointment to view public comments,
phone 1-800-743-3951.
I. Background
Under the Medicare program, eligible beneficiaries may receive
covered services through a Medicare Advantage (MA) organization that
contracts with CMS. The regulations specifying the Medicare
requirements that must be met for a Medicare Advantage Organization
(MAO) to enter into a contract with CMS are located at 42 CFR part 422.
These regulations implement Part C of Title XVIII of the Social
Security Act (the Act), which specifies the services that an MAO must
provide and the requirements that the organization must meet to be an
MA contractor. Other relevant sections of the Act are Parts A and B of
Title XVIII and Part A of Title XI pertaining to the provision of
services by Medicare-certified providers and suppliers. Generally, for
an entity to be an MA organization, the organization must be licensed
by the State as a risk-bearing organization as set forth in part 422.
As a method of assuring compliance with certain Medicare
requirements, an MA organization may choose to become accredited by a
CMS-approved accrediting organization (AO). Once accredited by such a
CMS-approved AO, we deem the MA organization to be compliant in one or
more of six requirements set forth in section 1852(e)(4)(B) of the Act.
For an AO to be able to ``deem'' an MA plan as compliant with these MA
requirements, the AO must prove to CMS that its standards are at least
as stringent as Medicare requirements. Health maintenance organizations
(HMOs) or preferred provider organizations (PPOs) accredited by an
approved accrediting organization may receive, at their request,
``deemed'' status for CMS requirements with respect to the following
six MA criteria: Quality Improvement; Antidiscrimination; Access to
Services; Confidentiality and Accuracy of Enrollee Records; Information
on Advanced Directives; and Provider Participation Rules. (See 42 CFR
422.156(b)). At this time, recognition of accreditation does not
include the Part D areas of review set out at Sec. 423.165(b). AOs
that apply for MA deeming authority are generally recognized by the
health care industry as entities that accredit HMOs and PPOs. As we
specify at Sec. 422.157(b)(2)(ii), the term for which an AO may be
approved by CMS may not exceed 6 years. For continuing approval, the AO
must apply to CMS to renew its ``deeming authority'' for a subsequent
approval period.
The Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care, Inc.
(AAAHC) was approved as a CMS-approved accreditation organization for
MA HMOs and PPOs on July 12, 2006, and that term will expire on July
11, 2012. On December 14, 2011, AAAHC submitted an application to renew
its deeming authority. On that same date, AAAHC submitted materials
requested from CMS which included updates and/or changes to items set
out in Federal regulations at Sec. 422.158(a) that are prerequisites
for receiving accreditation program approval by CMS, and which were
furnished to CMS by AAAHC as a part of their renewal applications for
HMOs and PPOs.
II. Provisions of the Proposed Notice
The purpose of this notice is to notify the public of the AAAHC's
request to renew its Medicare Advantage deeming authority for HMOs and
PPOs. AAAHC submitted all the necessary materials (including its
standards and monitoring protocol) to enable us to make a determination
concerning its request for approval as an accreditation organization
for CMS. This renewal application was determined to be complete on
February 6, 2012. Under section 1852(e)(4) of the Act and our
regulations at Sec. 422.158 (Federal review of accrediting
organizations), our review and evaluation of AAAHC will include, but
not necessarily be limited to, the following components:
A. Components of the Review Process
The types of MA plans that it would review as part of its
accreditation process.
A detailed comparison of the organization's accreditation
requirements and standards with the Medicare requirements (for example,
a crosswalk).
Detailed information about the organization's survey
process, including the following--
++ Frequency of surveys and whether surveys are announced or
unannounced.
++ Copies of survey forms, and guidelines and instructions to
surveyors.
++ Descriptions of--
--The survey review process and the accreditation status decision
making process;
--The procedures used to notify accredited MA organizations of
deficiencies and to monitor the correction of those deficiencies; and
--The procedures used to enforce compliance with accreditation
requirements.
Detailed information about the individuals who perform
surveys for the accreditation organization, including the following--
++ The size and composition of accreditation survey teams for each
type of plan reviewed as part of the accreditation process;
++ The education and experience requirements surveyors must meet;
++ The content and frequency of the in-service training provided to
survey personnel;
++ The evaluation systems used to monitor the performance of
individual surveyors and survey teams; and
++ The organization's policies and practice with respect to the
participation, in surveys or in the accreditation decision process by
an individual who is professionally or financially affiliated with the
entity being surveyed.
A description of the organization's data management and
analysis system with respect to its surveys and accreditation
decisions, including the kinds of reports, tables, and other displays
generated by that system.
A description of the organization's procedures for
responding to and investigating complaints against accredited
organizations, including policies and procedures regarding coordination
of these activities with appropriate licensing bodies and ombudsmen
programs.
A description of the organization's policies and
procedures with respect to
[[Page 19292]]
the withholding or removal of accreditation for failure to meet the
accreditation organization's standards or requirements, and other
actions the organization takes in response to noncompliance with its
standards and requirements.
A description of all types (for example, full, partial)
and categories (for example, provisional, conditional, temporary) of
accreditation offered by the organization, the duration of each type
and category of accreditation and a statement identifying the types and
categories that would serve as a basis for accreditation if CMS
approves the accreditation organization.
A list of all currently accredited MA organizations and
the type, category, and expiration date of the accreditation held by
each of them.
A list of all full and partial accreditation surveys
scheduled to be performed by the accreditation organization as
requested by CMS.
The name and address of each person with an ownership or
control interest in the accreditation organization.
CMS will also consider AAAHC's past performance in the
deeming program and results of recent deeming validation reviews, or
look-behind audits conducted as part of continuing Federal oversight of
the deeming program under Sec. 422.157(d).
B. Notice Upon Completion of Evaluation
Upon completion of our evaluation, including evaluation of comments
received as a result of this notice, we will publish a notice in the
Federal Register announcing the result of our evaluation.
Section 1852(e)(4)(C) of the Act provides a statutory timetable to
ensure that our review of deeming applications is conducted in a timely
manner. The Act provides us with 210 calendar days after the date of
receipt of an application to complete our survey activities and
application review process. At the end of the 210 day period, we must
publish an approval or denial of the application in the Federal
Register.
III. Collection of Information Requirements
This document does not impose information collection and
recordkeeping requirements. Consequently, it need not be reviewed by
the Office of Management and Budget under the authority of the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.
IV. Response to Comments
Because of the large number of public comments we normally receive
on Federal Register documents, we are not able to acknowledge or
respond to them individually. We will consider all comments we receive
by the date and time specified in the DATES section of this preamble,
and, when we proceed with a subsequent document, we will respond to the
comments in the preamble to that document.
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program No. 93.773 Medicare-
Hospital Insurance Program; and No. 93.774, Medicare-Supplementary
Medical Insurance Program)
Dated: March 23, 2012.
Marilyn Tavenner,
Acting CMS Administrator, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
[FR Doc. 2012-7701 Filed 3-29-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-01-P
