Department of Health and Human Services May 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents
Results 201 - 250 of 353
Meeting of the Community Preventive Services Task Force (Task Force)
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announces the next meeting of the Community Preventive Services Task Force (Task Force). The Task Force is independent and nonfederal. Its members are nationally known leaders in public health practice, policy, and research, and are appointed by the CDC Director. The Task Force was convened in 1996 by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to assess the effectiveness of community, environmental, population, and healthcare system interventions in public health and health promotion. During this meeting, the Task Force will consider the findings of systematic reviews and issue findings and recommendations to help inform decision making about policy, practice, and research in a wide range of U.S. settings. The Task Force's recommendations, along with the systematic reviews of the scientific evidence on which they are based, are compiled in the Guide to Community Preventive Services (Community Guide).
Office of Biotechnology Activities; Recombinant DNA Research: Proposed Actions Under the NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant or Synthetic Nucleic Acid Molecules (NIH Guidelines)
The NIH Office of Biotechnology Activities (NIH OBA) proposes to revise the NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant or Synthetic Nucleic Acid Molecules (NIH Guidelines) to streamline review of certain human gene transfer trials that present a low biosafety risk. Specifically, the NIH OBA proposes to remove the requirement that institutional biosafety committees (IBCs) review and approve certain human gene transfer clinical trials that use plasmids and certain attenuated, non-integrating viral vectors, provided the clinical trial follows an initial study in humans that was previously approved by an IBC registered with the OBA. This initial trial will have established the safety of the proposed dose of the gene transfer product (vector and transgene) in a comparable population (adults or children). The initial study should have been conducted in the same country as the proposed study to control for potential variability in infectious disease backgrounds of the participants. An initial IBC review is important to evaluate the safety of the product and to set standards for administration; however, for well- characterized vectors, in the absence of any unexpected toxicities in the initial study, subsequent biosafety assessments may not provide any additional information. While a single IBC review does not pose an undue burden, as the gene transfer field advances and more Phase II and Phase III multisite trials are developed, the time, effort and expense associated with multiple IBC reviews can be significant without adding commensurate value in the form of additional recommendations to protect the health and safety of the subject, health care worker, and community. IBCs play a critical role in the evaluation of new products and their review can inform other oversight bodies, such as Institutional Review Boards. However, given the competing demands on IBCs, this change will provide IBCs with the option of focusing their efforts on those clinical trials where review will be most productive. While IBCs will no longer be required to review all clinical trials using the same product, each institution can implement its own policies regarding the need to review such trials and the information that a principal investigator (PI) should submit regarding the safety of the previous trial. For example, an institution may designate the Biological Safety Officer and the IBC Chair to review data from the initial trial and determine whether a subsequent trial using the same agent meets the exemption criteria outlined herein. The institution may also set its own policies regarding the need for the PI to inform the IBC about enrollment, any relevant new biosafety findings, and completion of the trial. This policy will only exempt human gene transfer clinical trials from IBC review under Section III-C-1. It does not apply to basic, nonclinical research. In addition, it does not create an exemption from registration of the trial with the NIH OBA or the Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee (RAC) review and reporting requirements. By continuing to require registration and reporting on these trials, the NIH OBA will be able to continue to monitor adverse events or incident reports of accidental exposures by health care workers delivering these agents and, if necessary, provide information regarding these events to investigators, IBCs, and the public. The NIH OBA will also be able to assess whether this change in policy has any adverse impact on the biosafety of gene transfer trials.
National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program; List of Petitions Received
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is publishing this notice of petitions received under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (``the Program''), as required by Section 2112(b)(2) of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act, as amended. While the Secretary of Health and Human Services is named as the respondent in all proceedings brought by the filing of petitions for compensation under the Program, the United States Court of Federal Claims is charged by statute with responsibility for considering and acting upon the petitions.
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for Review and Approval; Public Comment Request
In compliance with section 3507(a)(1)(D) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Office of the Secretary (OS), Department of Health and Human Services, has submitted an Information Collection Request (ICR), described below, to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. The ICR is for renewal of the approved information collection assigned OMB control number 0990-0308, scheduled to expire on June 30, 2013. Comments submitted during the first public review of this ICR will be provided to OMB. OMB will accept further comments from the public on this ICR during the review and approval period.
Irradiation in the Production, Processing, and Handling of Animal Feed and Pet Food; Electron Beam and X-Ray Sources for Irradiation of Poultry Feed and Poultry Feed Ingredients
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is amending the regulations for irradiation of animal feed and pet food to provide for the safe use of electron beam and x-ray sources for irradiation of poultry feed and poultry feed ingredients. This action is in response to a food additive petition filed by Sadex Corp.
Agency Information Collection Activities; Announcement of Office of Management and Budget Approval; Improving Food Safety and Defense Capacity of the State and Local Level: Review of State and Local Capacities
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing that a collection of information entitled ``Improving Food Safety and Defense Capacity of the State and Local Level: Review of State and Local Capacities'' has been approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Applications for Food and Drug Administration Approval To Market a New Drug; Postmarketing Reports; Reporting Information About Authorized Generic Drugs
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 information collection contained in the requirements for reporting information about authorized generic drugs in an annual report.
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for Office of Management and Budget Review; Comment Request; Medicated Feed Mill License Application; Extension
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing that a proposed collection of information has been submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and clearance under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.
Agency Information Collection Activities; Announcement of Office of Management and Budget Approval; Guidance on Informed Consent for In Vitro Diagnostic Device Studies Using Leftover Human Specimens That Are Not Individually Identifiable
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing that a collection of information entitled ``Guidance on Informed Consent for In Vitro Diagnostic Device Studies Using Leftover Human Specimens That Are Not Individually Identifiable'' has been approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.
Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request
In compliance with the requirement for opportunity for public comment on proposed data collection projects (Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of Title 44, United States Code, as amended by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Pub. L. 104-13), the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) publishes periodic summaries of proposed projects being developed for submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. To request more information on the proposed project or to obtain a copy of the data collection plans and draft instruments, email paperwork@hrsa.gov or call the HRSA Reports Clearance Officer at (301) 443-1984. HRSA especially requests comments on: (1) The necessity and utility of the proposed information collection for the proper performance of the agency's functions, (2) the accuracy of the estimated burden, (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected, and (4) the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology to minimize the information collection burden.
Revised OIG's Provider Self-Disclosure Protocol
This notice announces the issuance of the updated Provider Self-Disclosure Protocol (the SDP), originally published in the Federal Register on October 30, 1998 (63 FR 58399). In 1998, the Office of Inspector General published the SDP to establish a process for health care providers to voluntarily identify, disclose, and resolve instances of potential fraud involving the Federal health care programs (as defined in section 1128B(f) of the Social Security Act (the Act), 42 U.S.C. 1320a-7b(f)). The SDP provides guidance on how to investigate this conduct, quantify damages, and report the conduct to OIG to resolve the provider's liability under OIG's civil monetary penalty (CMP) authorities. Since the original publication, we identified areas where additional guidance would be beneficial to the health care community and would improve the efficient resolution of SDP matters. To that end, we issued three Open Letters to Health Care Providers in 2006, 2008, and 2009. Since the last Open Letter, we continued to evaluate our SDP process. We also solicited comments about the SDP on June 18, 2012, and we received numerous helpful comments from the public. On the basis of our experience and the comments we received, we have decided to revise the SDP in its entirety at this time. This revised SDP supersedes and replaces the 1998 Federal Register Notice and the Open Letters. OIG has posted the full revision of the SDP on its Web site: http:/ /oig.hhs.gov/compliance/self-disclosure-info/index.asp.
Medicare Program; FY 2014 Hospice Wage Index and Payment Rate Update; Hospice Quality Reporting Requirements; and Updates on Payment Reform
This proposed rule would update the hospice payment rates and the wage index for fiscal year (FY) 2014, and continue the phase out of the wage index budget neutrality adjustment factor (BNAF). Including the FY 2014 15 percent BNAF reduction, the total BNAF reduction in FY 2014 will be 70 percent. The BNAF phase-out will continue with successive 15 percent reductions in FY 2015 and FY 2016. This proposed rule would also clarify how hospices are to report diagnoses on hospice claims, and proposes changes in the requirements for the hospice quality reporting program.
Medicare Program; Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems for Acute Care Hospitals and the Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System and Proposed Fiscal Year 2014 Rates; Quality Reporting Requirements for Specific Providers; Hospital Conditions of Participation
We are proposing to revise the Medicare hospital inpatient prospective payment systems (IPPS) for operating and capital-related costs of acute care hospitals to implement changes arising from our continuing experience with these systems. Some of the proposed changes implement certain statutory provisions contained in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (collectively known as the Affordable Care Act) and other legislation. These proposed changes would be applicable to discharges occurring on or after October 1, 2013, unless otherwise specified in this proposed rule. We also are proposing to update the rate-of-increase limits for certain hospitals excluded from the IPPS that are paid on a reasonable cost basis subject to these limits. The proposed updated rate-of-increase limits would be effective for cost reporting periods beginning on or after October 1, 2013. We are proposing to update the payment policies and the annual payment rates for the Medicare prospective payment system (PPS) for inpatient hospital services provided by long-term care hospitals (LTCHs) and implement certain statutory changes made by the Affordable Care Act. Generally, these proposed changes would be applicable to discharges occurring on or after October 1, 2013, unless otherwise specified in this proposed rule. In addition, we are proposing a number of changes relating to direct graduate medical education (GME) and indirect medical education (IME) payments. We are proposing to establish new requirements or revised requirements for quality reporting by specific providers (acute care hospitals, PPS-exempt cancer hospitals, LTCHs, and inpatient psychiatric facilities (IPFs)) that are participating in Medicare. We are proposing to update policies relating to the Hospital Value- Based Purchasing (VBP) Program and the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program. In addition, we are proposing to revise the conditions of participation (CoPs) for hospitals relating to the administration of vaccines by nursing staff as well as the CoPs for critical access hospitals relating to the provision of acute care inpatient services.
Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection: Comment Request
In compliance with the requirement for opportunity for public comment on proposed data collection projects (Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of Title 44, United States Code, as amended by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Pub. L. 104-13), the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) publishes periodic summaries of proposed projects being developed for submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. To request more information on the proposed project or to obtain a copy of the data collection plans and draft instruments, email paperwork@hrsa.gov or call the HRSA Information Collection Clearance Officer at (301) 443- 1984. HRSA especially requests comments on: (1) The necessity and utility of the proposed information collection for the proper performance of the agency's functions, (2) the accuracy of the estimated burden, (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected, and (4) the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology to minimize the information collection burden.
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for Review and Approval; Public Comment Request
In compliance with Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. chapter 35), the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) will submit an Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Comments submitted during the first public review of this ICR will be provided to OMB. OMB will accept further comments from the public during the review and approval period. To request a copy of the clearance requests submitted to OMB for review, email paperwork@hrsa.gov or call the HRSA Information Collection Clearance Officer at (301) 443-1984.
Announcing the Award of a New Single-Source Award to the National Council on Family Violence in Austin, TX
The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Administration on Children, Youth and Families (ACYF), Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB), Division of Family Violence and Prevention Services (DFVPS) announces the award of a single-source cooperative agreement in the amount of $275,000 to the National Council on Family Violence in Austin, TX, for the Hotline. The Hotline, currently funded under the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act, provides direct services and referrals nationally for victims of family violence, domestic violence, and dating violence.
Updated Special Advisory Bulletin on the Effect of Exclusion From Participation in Federal Health Care Programs
This notice announces the release of an updated Special Advisory Bulletin on the effect of exclusion from participation in Federal health care programs by OIG. The updated Special Advisory Bulletin describes the scope and effect of the legal prohibition on payment by Federal health care programs for items or services furnished (1) by an excluded person or (2) at the medical direction or on the prescription of an excluded person. For purposes of OIG exclusion, payment by a Federal health care program includes amounts based on a cost report, fee schedule, prospective payment system, capitated rate, or other payment methodology. The updated Bulletin describes how exclusions can be violated and the administrative sanctions OIG can pursue against those who have violated an exclusion. The updated Bulletin also provides guidance to the health care industry on the scope and frequency of screening employees and contractors to determine whether they are excluded persons. OIG has posted the full revision of the Special Advisory Bulletin on its Web site: https://oig.hhs.gov/exclusions/advisories.asp.
Proposed Collection; 60-Day Comment Request: Interactive Informed Consent for Pediatric Clinical Trials
In compliance with the requirement of Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, for opportunity for public comment on proposed data collection projects, the National Institute Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHBLI), the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will publish periodic summaries of proposed projects to be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. Written comments and/or suggestions from the public and affected agencies are invited on one or more of the following points: (1) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the function of the agency, including whether the information will have practical utility; (2) The accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (3) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) Ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology. To Submit Comments and for Further Information: To obtain a copy of the data collection plans and instruments, submit comments in writing, or request more information on the proposed project, contact: Ms. Victoria Pemberton, Clinical Trials Specialist, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, NIH, 6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 8102, MSC 7940, Bethesda, MD, or call non-toll-free number 301-435-0510, or Email your request, including your address to: pembertonv@nhlbi.nih.gov. Formal requests for additional plans and instruments must be requested in writing.
Draft Guidance for Industry on Charging for Investigational Drugs Under an Investigational New Drug Application-Questions and Answers; Availability
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing the availability of a draft guidance for industry entitled ``Charging for Investigational Drugs Under an INDQs & As.'' This guidance is intended to provide information for industry, researchers, and physicians on how FDA is implementing its regulation on charging for an investigational drug under an investigational new drug (IND) application. FDA has received a number of questions about how it is implementing the charging regulation. Therefore, FDA is providing this draft guidance in a question and answer format, addressing the most frequently asked questions and answers, including questions about charging for investigational drugs made available under expanded access programs.
Draft Guidance for Industry on Expanded Access to Investigational Drugs for Treatment Use-Questions and Answers; Availability
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing the availability of a draft guidance for industry entitled ``Expanded Access to Investigational Drugs for Treatment UseQs & As.'' This guidance is intended to provide information for industry, researchers, physicians, and patients about certain aspects of FDA's implementation of its regulations on expanded access to investigational drugs for treatment use. FDA has received a number of questions about implementation of its expanded access regulations. Therefore, FDA is providing this draft guidance in a question and answer format, addressing the most frequently asked questions.
General and Plastic Surgery Devices: Reclassification of Ultraviolet Lamps for Tanning, Henceforth To Be Known as Sunlamp Products
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is proposing to reclassify ultraviolet (UV) lamps intended to tan the skin from class I (general controls) exempt from premarket notification to class II (special controls) and subject to premarket notification, and to rename them sunlamp products. FDA is also designating special controls that are necessary to provide a reasonable assurance of the safety and effectiveness of the device. FDA is proposing this reclassification on its own initiative based on new information.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google
Privacy Policy and
Terms of Service apply.
