Department of Health and Human Services October 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice announces the inpatient hospital deductible and the hospital and extended care services coinsurance amounts for services furnished in calendar year (CY) 2014 under Medicare's Hospital Insurance Program (Medicare Part A). The Medicare statute specifies the formulae used to determine these amounts. For CY 2014, the inpatient hospital deductible will be $1,216. The daily coinsurance amounts for CY 2014 will be: $304 for the 61st through 90th day of hospitalization in a benefit period; $608 for lifetime reserve days; and $152 for the 21st through 100th day of extended care services in a skilled nursing facility in a benefit period.

This final rule implements provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (collectively referred to as the Affordable Care Act). Specifically, this final rule outlines financial integrity and oversight standards with respect to Affordable Insurance Exchanges, qualified health plan (QHP) issuers in Federally-facilitated Exchanges (FFEs), and States with regard to the operation of risk adjustment and reinsurance programs. It also establishes additional standards for special enrollment periods, survey vendors that may conduct enrollee satisfaction surveys on behalf of QHP issuers, and issuer participation in an FFE, and makes certain amendments to definitions and standards related to the market reform rules. These standards, which include financial integrity provisions and protections against fraud and abuse, are consistent with Title I of the Affordable Care Act. This final rule also amends and adopts as final interim provisions set forth in the Amendments to the HHS Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters for 2014 interim final rule, published in the Federal Register on March 11, 2013, related to risk corridors and cost-sharing reduction reconciliation.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is requesting nominations for voting members to serve on the Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee, Office of Science, Center for Tobacco Products. FDA seeks to include the views of women and men, members of all racial and ethnic groups, and individuals with and without disabilities on its advisory committees and, therefore, encourages nominations of appropriately qualified candidates from these groups.

HHS gives notice of a decision to designate a class of employees from the Feed Materials Production Center (FMPC) in Fernald, Ohio, as an addition to the Special Exposure Cohort (SEC) under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000. On September 30, 2013, the Secretary of HHS designated the following class of employees as an addition to the SEC:

HHS gives notice of a determination concerning a petition to add a class of employees from the Pantex Plant in Amarillo, Texas, to the Special Exposure Cohort (SEC) under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000 (EEOICPA). On September 30, 2013, the Secretary of HHS determined that the following class of employees does not meet the statutory criteria for addition to the SEC as authorized under EEOICPA:

HHS gives notice of a determination concerning a petition to add a class of employees from Baker Brothers, in Toledo, Ohio, to the Special Exposure Cohort (SEC) under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000 (EEOICPA). On September 30, 2013, the Secretary of HHS determined that the following class of employees does not meet the statutory criteria for addition to the SEC as authorized under EEOICPA: