Department of Health and Human Services April 15, 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Office of Public Health and Science (OPHS) is seeking nominations of qualified individuals to be considered for appointment as members of the Advisory Committee on Blood Safety and Availability (ACBSA). ACBSA is a Federal advisory committee in the Department of Health and Human Services. Management support for the activities of this Committee is the responsibility of the OPHS. The qualified individuals will be nominated to the Secretary of Health and Human Services for consideration of appointment as members of the ACBSA. Members of the Committee, including the Chair, are appointed by the Secretary. Members are invited to serve on the Committee for overlapping four-year terms.

In accordance with the requirements of the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a), the Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) is publishing notice of amendment of its system of records, entitled ``Federal Case Registry of Child Support Orders'' (FCR), 09-80-0202, last published at 69 FR 46550 on August 3, 2004. The amendment adds four routine uses; new categories of records; and clarifying information and technical amendments.

This final rule codifies clarifications of existing policies associated with the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit (also known as Medicare Part D), including the following: guidance that certain supplies associated with the administration of insulin are included in the definition of a Part D drug; guidance regarding the statutory exclusion from the definition of a Part D drug of any drug when used for the treatment of sexual or erectile dysfunction, unless that drug is used for an FDA-approved purpose other than sexual or erectile dysfunction; a recent statutory change that allows for the payment of vaccine administration under Part D for Part D covered vaccines; and guidance on plan-to-plan reconciliation and reconciliation with a payer other than the Part D plan of record. This final rule also codifies clarifications of existing policies associated with the Retiree Drug Subsidy (RDS) program, including guidance on aggregating plan options for purposes of meeting the net test for actuarial equivalence and guidance on applying the Medicare supplemental adjustment when calculating actuarial equivalence. In addition, new clarifications and modifications in this final rule include establishing standards with respect to the timely delivery of infusible drugs covered under Part D and modifications to the retiree drug subsidy regulations. This final rule also codifies certain technical corrections to our regulations and clarifies our intent with respect to certain preamble discussions in a prior final rule implementing the Medicare prescription drug benefit.