59216 Federal Register /Vol. 82, No. 239/Thursday ...

1 59216 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 239 / thursday , december 14, 2017 / rules and Regulations DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services 42 CFR Parts 414, 416, and 419 [CMS 1678 FC] RIN 0938 AT03 Medicare Program: Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment Systems and Quality Reporting Programs Republication Editorial Note: Rule document 2017 23932 was originally published on pages 52356 through 52637 in the issue of Monday, November 13, 2017 . In that publication, a section of the document was omitted due to a printing error. The corrected document is published here in its entirety. AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), HHS. ACTION: Final rule with comment period. SUMMARY: This final rule with comment period revises the Medicare hospital outpatient prospective payment system (OPPS) and the Medicare ambulatory surgical center (ASC) payment system for CY 2018 to implement changes arising from our continuing experience with these systems.

2 In this final rule with comment period, we describe the changes to the amounts and factors used to determine the payment rates for Medicare services paid under the OPPS and those paid under the ASC payment system. In addition, this final rule with comment period updates and refines the requirements for the Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting (OQR) Program and the ASC Quality Reporting (ASCQR) Program. DATES:Effective date: This final rule with comment period is effective on January 1, 2018, unless otherwise noted. Comment period: To be assured consideration, comments on the payment classifications assigned to HCPCS codes identified in Addenda B, AA, and BB with the comment indicator NI and on other areas specified throughout this final rule with comment period must be received at one of the addresses provided in the ADDRESSES section no later than 5 EST on december 31, 2017 . ADDRESSES: In commenting, please refer to file code CMS 1678 FC when commenting on the issues in this proposed rule.

3 Because of staff and resource limitations, we cannot accept comments by facsimile (FAX) transmission. You may submit comments in one of four ways (no duplicates, please): 1. Electronically. You may (and we encourage you to) submit electronic comments on this regulation to Follow the instructions under the submit a comment tab. 2. By regular mail. You may mail written comments to the following address ONLY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Department of Health and Human Services, Attention: CMS 1678 FC, Box 8013, Baltimore, MD 21244 1850. Please allow sufficient time for mailed comments to be received before the close of the comment period. 3. By express or overnight mail. You may send written comments via express or overnight mail to the following address ONLY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Department of Health and Human Services, Attention: CMS 1678 FC, Mail Stop C4 26 05, 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21244 1850.

4 4. By hand or courier. If you prefer, you may deliver (by hand or courier) your written comments before the close of the comment period to either of the following addresses: a. For delivery in Washington, DC Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Department of Health and Human Services, Room 445 G, Hubert H. Humphrey Building, 200 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20201. (Because access to the interior of the Hubert H. Humphrey Building is not readily available to persons without Federal Government identification, commenters are encouraged to leave their comments in the CMS drop slots located in the main lobby of the building. A stamp-in clock is available for persons wishing to retain a proof of filing by stamping in and retaining an extra copy of the comments being filed.) b. For delivery in Baltimore, MD Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Department of Health and Human Services, 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21244 1850.

5 If you intend to deliver your comments to the Baltimore address, please call the telephone number (410) 786 7195 in advance to schedule your arrival with one of our staff members. Comments mailed to the addresses indicated as appropriate for hand or courier delivery may be delayed and received after the comment period. For information on viewing public comments, we refer readers to the beginning of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: (We note that public comments must be submitted through one of the four channels outlined in the ADDRESSES section above. Comments may not be submitted via email.) Advisory Panel on Hospital Outpatient Payment (HOP Panel), contact the HOP Panel mailbox at Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) Payment System, contact Elisabeth Daniel via email or at 410 786 0237. Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality Reporting (ASCQR) Program Administration, Validation, and Reconsideration Issues, contact Anita Bhatia via email or at 410 786 7236.

6 Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality Reporting (ASCQR) Program Measures, contact Vinitha Meyyur via email or at 410 786 8819. Blood and Blood Products, contact Josh McFeeters via email at 410 786 9732. Cancer Hospital Payments, contact Scott Talaga via email or at 410 786 4142. Care Management Services, contact Scott Talaga via email or at 410 786 4142. CPT Codes, contact Marjorie Baldo via email or at 410 786 4617. CMS Web Posting of the OPPS and ASC Payment Files, contact Chuck Braver via email or at 410 786 6719. Composite APCs (Low Dose Brachytherapy and Multiple Imaging), contact Twi Jackson via email or at 410 786 1159. Comprehensive APCs (C APCs), contact Lela Strong via email or at 410 786 3213. Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting (OQR) Program Administration, Validation, and Reconsideration Issues, contact Anita Bhatia via email or at 410 786 7236. Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting (OQR) Program Measures, contact Vinitha Meyyur via email or at 410 786 8819.

7 Hospital Outpatient Visits (Emergency Department Visits and Critical Care Visits), contact Twi Jackson via email or at 410 786 1159. Inpatient Only (IPO) Procedures List, contact Lela Strong via email or at 410 786 3213. New Technology Intraocular Lenses (NTIOLs), contact Scott Talaga via email or at 410 786 4142. No Cost/Full Credit and Partial Credit Devices, contact Twi Jackson via email or at 410 786 1159. OPPS Brachytherapy, contact Scott Talaga via email or at 410 786 4142. OPPS Data (APC Weights, Conversion Factor, Copayments, Cost-to-Charge Ratios VerDate Sep<11>2014 00:57 Dec 14, 2017 Jkt 244001 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 4701 Sfmt 4700 E:\FR\FM\ 14 DER2sradovich on DSK3 GMQ082 PROD with RULES259217 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 239 / thursday , december 14, 2017 / rules and Regulations (CCRs), Data Claims, Geometric Mean Calculation, Outlier Payments, and Wage Index), contact Erick Chuang via email or at 410 786 1816 or Elisabeth Daniel via email or at 410 786 0237.

8 OPPS Drugs, Radiopharmaceuticals, Biologicals, and Biosimilar Products, contact Elisabeth Daniel via email or at 410 786 0237. OPPS New Technology Procedures/ Services, contact the New Technology APC email at OPPS Exceptions to the 2 Times Rule, contact Marjorie Baldo via email or at 410 786 4617. OPPS Packaged Items/Services, contact Elisabeth Daniel via email or at 410 786 0237. OPPS Pass-Through Devices, contact the Device Pass-Through email at OPPS Status Indicators (SI) and Comment Indicators (CI), contact Marina Kushnirova via email or at 410 786 2682. Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) and Community Mental Health Center (CMHC) Issues, contact the PHP Payment Policy Mailbox at Revisions to the Laboratory Date of Service Policy, contact Craig Dobyski via email or at 410 786 4584 or Rasheeda Johnson via email or at 410 786 3434 or Marjorie Baldo (for OPPS) via email or at 410 786 4617.

9 Rural Hospital Payments, contact Josh McFeeters via email or at 410 786 9732. Skin Substitutes, contact Josh McFeeters via email or at 410 786 9732. All Other Issues Related to Hospital Outpatient and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payments Not Previously Identified, contact Lela Strong via email or at 410 786 3213. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Inspection of Public Comments: All comments received before the close of the comment period are available for viewing by the public, including any personally identifiable or confidential business information that is included in a comment. We post all comments received before the close of the comment period on the following Web site as soon as possible after they have been received: Follow the search instructions on that Web site to view public comments. Comments received timely will also be available for public inspection, generally beginning approximately 3 weeks after publication of the rule, at the headquarters of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21244, on Monday through Friday of each week from 8:30 to 4 EST.

10 To schedule an appointment to view public comments, phone 1 800 743 3951. Electronic Access This Federal Register document is also available from the Federal Register online database through Federal Digital System (FDsys), a service of the Government Printing Office. This database can be accessed via the Internet at Addenda Available Only Through the Internet on the CMS Web Site In the past, a majority of the Addenda referred to in our OPPS/ASC proposed and final rules were published in the Federal Register as part of the annual rulemakings. However, beginning with the CY 2012 OPPS/ASC proposed rule, all of the Addenda no longer appear in the Federal Register as part of the annual OPPS/ASC proposed and final rules to decrease administrative burden and reduce costs associated with publishing lengthy tables. Instead, these Addenda are published and available only on the CMS Web site. The Addenda relating to the OPPS are available at: Medicare/Medicare-Fee-for-Service- Payment/HospitalOutpatientPPS/ The Addenda relating to the ASC payment system are available at.