Department of Health and Human Services December 30, 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing an opportunity for public comment on the proposed collection of certain information by the agency. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (the PRA), Federal agencies are required to publish notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information, including each proposed extension of an existing collection of information, and to allow 60 days for public comment in response to the notice. This notice solicits comments on the reporting requirements contained in existing FDA regulations regarding the general administrative procedures for a person to petition the Commissioner of Food and Drugs (the Commissioner) to issue, amend, or revoke a rule; to file a petition for an administrative reconsideration or an administrative stay of action; and to request an advisory opinion from the Commissioner.

This notice announces an administrative hearing to be held on February 5, 2009, at the CMS Seattle Regional Office, 2201 Sixth Avenue, MS/RX-43, Seattle, Washington 98121 to reconsider CMS' decision to disapprove Washington SPA 08-002. Closing Date: Requests to participate in the hearing as a party must be received by the presiding officer by January 14, 2009.

The inventions listed below are owned by an agency of the U.S. Government and are available for licensing in the U.S. in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 207 to achieve expeditious commercialization of results of federally-funded research and development. Foreign patent applications are filed on selected inventions to extend market coverage for companies and may also be available for licensing.

This notice lists CMS manual instructions, substantive and interpretive regulations, and other Federal Register notices that were published from July 2008 through September 2008, relating to the Medicare and Medicaid programs. This notice provides information on national coverage determinations (NCDs) affecting specific medical and health care services under Medicare. Additionally, this notice identifies certain devices with investigational device exemption (IDE) numbers approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that potentially may be covered under Medicare. This notice also includes listings of all approval numbers from the Office of Management and Budget for collections of information in CMS regulations and a list of Medicare-approved carotid stent facilities. Included in this notice is a list of the American College of Cardiology's National Cardiovascular Data registry sites, active CMS coverage-related guidance documents, and special one-time notices regarding national coverage provisions. Also included in this notice is a list of National Oncologic Positron Emissions Tomography Registry sites, a list of Medicare-approved ventricular assist device (destination therapy) facilities, a list of Medicare-approved lung volume reduction surgery facilities, a list of Medicare-approved clinical trials for fluorodeoxyglucose positron emissions tomography for dementia, and a list of Medicare-approved bariatric surgery facilities. Section 1871(c) of the Social Security Act requires that we publish a list of Medicare issuances in the Federal Register at least every 3 months. Although we are not mandated to do so by statute, for the sake of completeness of the listing, and to foster more open and transparent collaboration efforts, we are also including all Medicaid issuances and Medicare and Medicaid substantive and interpretive regulations (proposed and final) published during this 3-month time frame.