Department of Health and Human Services May 27, 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This proposed rule would revise the existing conditions of participation that hospices must meet to participate in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. The proposed requirements focus on the care delivered to patients and their families by hospices and the outcomes of that care. The proposed requirements continue to reflect an interdisciplinary view of patient care and allow hospices flexibility in meeting quality standards. These changes are an integral part of the Administration's efforts to achieve broad-based improvements in the quality of health care furnished through the Medicare and Medicaid programs.

The Administration for Native Americans, within the Administration for Children and Families, announces the availability of fiscal year (FY) 2005 funds for projects that include approaches to improve child well-being by removing barriers associated with forming and sustaining healthy families and marriages in Native American communities. The Administration for Native Americans (ANA's) FY 2005 goals and program areas of interest are focused on strengthening children, families, and communities through financial assistance to community-based organizations including faith-based organizations, Tribes, and Village governments. The Program Areas of Interest are projects that ANA considers supportive to Native American communities. Eligibility for funding is restricted to projects of the type listed in this program announcement and these Program Areas of Interest are ones which ANA sees as particularly beneficial to the development of healthy Native American communities. The primary objectives of these projects are pre-marital education, marriage education and relationship skills for youth, adults, and couples. Project components may include but are not limited to: Healthy relationship skills, communication skills, conflict resolution, foster parenting, marital counseling, abstinence education, and fatherhood accountability. Financial assistance under this program is provided utilizing a competitive process in accordance with the Native American Programs Act of 1974, as amended. The purpose of this Act is to promote the goal of social self-sufficiency for American Indians, Native Hawaiians, Alaskan Natives, and other Native American Pacific Islanders, including American Samoa natives.

Notice is given that the Director of Indian Health Service (IHS), under the authority of sections 321(a) and 322(b) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 248 and 249(b)), Public Law 83-568 (42 U.S.C. 2001(a)) and the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.), has approved the following rates for inpatient and outpatient medical care provided by IHS facilities for Calendar Year 2005 for Medicare and Medicaid Beneficiaries and Beneficiaries of other Federal Agencies. The Medicare Part A inpatient rates are excluded from the table below as they are paid based on the prospective payment system. Since the inpatient rates set forth below do not include all physician services and practitioner services, additional payment may be available to the extent that those services meet applicable requirements. Public Law 106-554, dated December 21, 2000, authorized IHS facilities to file Medicare Part B claims with the carrier for payment for physician and certain other practitioner services provided on or after July 1, 2001.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is amending the animal drug regulations to reflect approval of an abbreviated new animal drug application (ANADA) filed by IMPAX Laboratories, Inc. The ANADA provides for veterinary prescription use of carprofen caplets in dogs for the relief of pain and inflammation associated with osteoarthritis.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing the availability of a draft guidance document for industry (177) entitled ``Specifications: Test Procedures and Acceptance Criteria for New Biotechnological/Biological Veterinary Medicinal Products'' (VICH GL40). This draft guidance has been developed for veterinary use by the International Cooperation on Harmonization of Technical Requirements for Registration of Veterinary Medicinal Products (VICH). This draft VICH guidance document is intended to provide general principles through recommendations on the setting and justification, to the extent possible, of a uniform set of international specifications for biotechnological and biological products to support new marketing applications.

This interim final rule with comment period revises the existing effective date by which all organ procurement organizations (OPOs), rural health clinics (RHCs), Federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), and community mental health centers (CMHCs) are required to submit their Medicare cost reports in a standardized electronic format from cost reporting periods ending on or after December 31, 2004 to cost reporting periods ending on or after March 31, 2005. This interim final rule with comment does not affect the current cost reporting requirement for hospices and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) facilities. Hospices and ESRD facilities are required to continue to submit cost reports under the Medicare regulations in a standardized electronic format for cost reporting periods ending on or after December 31, 2004.

This notice announces a public meeting to discuss payment determinations for specific new Physicians' Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes for clinical laboratory tests. The meeting provides a forum for interested parties to make oral presentations and submit written comments on the new codes that will be included in Medicare's Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule for calendar year 2006, which will be effective on January 1, 2006. Discussion is directed toward technical issues relating to payment determinations for a specified list of new clinical laboratory codes. The development of the codes for clinical laboratory tests is largely performed by the CPT Editorial Panel and will not be further discussed at the CMS meeting.