Department of Health and Human Services May 22, 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announces the following public meeting: ``Partnerships to Advance the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA)''. Public Meeting Time and Date: 1 p.m.-3 p.m. EDT, June 20, 2013. Place: Patriots Plaza, 395 E Street SW., Derek Dunn Conference Room (9250), Washington, DC 20201. Purpose of the Meeting: The National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) has been structured to engage partners with each other and/or with NIOSH to advance NORA priorities. The NORA Liaison Committee continues to be an opportunity for representatives from organizations with national scope to learn about NORA progress and to suggest possible partnerships based on their organization's mission and contacts. This opportunity is now structured as a public meeting via the Internet to attract participation by a larger number of organizations and to further enhance the success of NORA. Some of the types of organizations of national scope that are especially encouraged to participate are employers, unions, trade associations, labor associations, professional associations, and foundations. Others are welcome. This meeting will include updates from NIOSH leadership on NORA and on plans for evaluating the second decade of NORA. Brief written updates will be available from approximately half of the NORA Sector Councils on their progress, priorities, and implementation plans to date, likely including the NORA Construction; Manufacturing; Public Safety; Services and Wholesale and Retail Trade Councils. There will be time to ask questions and discuss partnership opportunities. Status: The meeting is open to the public, limited only by the capacities of the conference call and conference room facilities. There is limited space available in the meeting room (capacity 20). Everyone is encouraged to participate through the Internet (to see the slides) and a teleconference call (capacity 50). Each participant is requested to register for the free meeting by sending an email to noracoordinator@cdc.gov containing the participant's name, organization name, contact telephone number on the day of the meeting, and preference for participation in-person or by Web meeting (requirements include: computer, Internet connection, and telephone, preferably with `mute' capability). An email confirming registration will include the details needed to participate in the Web meeting. Non-US citizens are encouraged to participate in the Web meeting. Non-US citizens who do not register to attend in person on or before June 3, 2013, will not be granted access to the meeting site and will not be able to attend the meeting in-person due to mandatory security clearance procedures at the Patriots Plaza facility. Background: NORA is a partnership program to stimulate innovative research in occupational safety and health leading to improved workplace practices. Unveiled in 1996, NORA has become a research framework for the nation. Diverse parties collaborate to identify the most critical issues in workplace safety and health. Partners then work together to develop goals and objectives for addressing those needs and to move the research results into practice. The NIOSH role is facilitator of the process. For more information about NORA, see http:/ /www.cdc.gov/niosh/nora/about.html. Since 2006, NORA has been structured according to industrial sectors. Ten major sector groups have been defined using the North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS). After receiving public input through the Web and town hall meetings, ten NORA Sector Councils defined sector-specific strategic plans for conducting research and moving the results into widespread practice. To view the National Sector Agendas, see https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/nora/.

This interim final rule with comment period sets the payment rates for covered services furnished to individuals enrolled in the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP) program administered directly by HHS beginning with covered services furnished on June 15, 2013. This interim final rule also prohibits facilities and providers who, with respect to dates of service beginning on June 15, 2013, accept payment for most covered services furnished to an enrollee in the federally-administered PCIP from charging the enrollee an amount greater than the enrollee's out-of-pocket cost for the covered service as calculated by the plan. The PCIP program was established under Section 1101 of Title I of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Affordable Care Act).

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing a 2-day public meeting to obtain input on issues and challenges associated with the standardization and assessment of risk evaluation and mitigation strategies (REMS) for drug and biological products. As part of the reauthorization of the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA), FDA has committed to standardizing REMS to better integrate them into, and reduce their burden to, the existing and evolving health care system. As part of the PDUFA commitments, FDA will also seek to develop evidence-based methodologies for assessing the effectiveness of REMS. To obtain input from stakeholders about REMS standardization and evaluation, FDA will hold a public meeting to give stakeholders, including health care providers, prescribers, patients, pharmacists, distributors, drug manufacturers, vendors, researchers, standards development organizations, and the public an opportunity to provide input on ways to standardize and assess REMS.

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 requests for Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1998 (CLIA) categorization of in vitro diagnostic (IVD) tests when a premarket review is not needed.