Department of Health and Human Services April 16, 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with the requirements of the Privacy Act of 1974, CMS is proposing to make minor amendments to an existing system of records (SOR) titled, ``Performance Measurement and Reporting System (PMRS),'' System No. 09-70-0584, published at 72 Federal Register 52133 (September 12, 2007), as amended by 73 Federal Register 80412 (December 31, 2008). PMRS serves as a master system of records to assist in projects that provide transparency in health care on a broad-scale enabling consumers to compare the quality and price of health care services so that they can make informed choices among individual physicians, practitioners, and other providers of services. We are making minor amendments to PMRS to include an additional legal authority: Section 109 of the Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006 (TRHCA) (Pub. L. 109-432). Section 109 of the TRHCA amended Section 1833(t) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395l(t)). This section mandates the establishment of a program for quality data reporting for hospital outpatient services and allow for the establishment of a program to require quality data reporting for ambulatory surgical center services. Accordingly, CMS is adding section 109 of TRCHA (42 U.S.C. 1395l(t)) and section 1833(t) of the Act to the PMRS' legal authority section.