[Federal Register: June 2, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 106)]
[Notices]
[Page 31125]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr02jn04-62]
[[Page 31125]]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
[CMS-1279-N]
Medicare Program; Request for Nominations for the Program
Advisory Oversight Committee for the Competitive Acquisition of Durable
Medical Equipment and Other Items
AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), HHS.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: This notice solicits nominations for individuals to serve on
the Program Advisory Oversight Committee that will advise the Secretary
of Health and Human Services on the establishment of the competitive
acquisition of durable medical equipment and certain other items and
services under the Medicare program. This notice implements section
302(b)(1) of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and
Modernization Act (MMA) of 2003. The Secretary will establish the
committee. In addition, this committee is exempt from the Federal
Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C., appendix 2.
DATES: Nominations will be considered if we receive all of the required
information no later than 5 p.m., July 2, 2004.
ADDRESSES: Send nominations to--Division of Community Post Acute Care,
Mail stop C5-08-17, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 7500
Security Boulevard, Baltimore, Maryland 21244-1850. Attention: Sean
Dalenberg or Michael Keane. Nominations may also be e-mailed to
sdalenberg@cms.hhs.gov or mkeane@cms.hhs.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sean Dalenberg at (410) 786-0300 or
Michael Keane at (410) 786-4495. Press inquiries are handled through
the CMS Press Office at (202) 690-6145.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
Payment for durable medical equipment (DME) is currently based on
fee schedule amounts established using reasonable charge data from
earlier years. Section 302(b)(1) of the Medicare Prescription Drug,
Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA) (Pub. L. 108-173),
requires the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services
to replace the current DME payment methodology for certain items with a
competitive acquisition process to improve the effectiveness of
Medicare's methodology for setting DME payment amounts. This new
bidding process will establish payment for certain durable medical
equipment, enteral nutrition, and off-the-shelf orthotics. In addition,
the statute requires the Secretary to establish and administer a
Program Advisory and Oversight Committee (PAOC) that will provide
advice on the development and implementation of the Competitive
Acquisition Program.
II. Goals, General Responsibilities, and Composition of the Program
Advisory Oversight Committee
A. Goals and General Responsibilities
Section 302 of the MMA, also states that the goals of the committee
are to provide advice on the following:
The implementation of the Competitive Acquisition Program.
The establishment of financial standards that take into
account the needs of small providers.
The establishment of requirements for collection of data
for the efficient management of the program.
The development of proposals for efficient interaction
among manufacturers, providers of services, suppliers, and individuals.
The establishment of quality standards.
In addition, the MMA states that the committee may also perform
additional functions to assist the Secretary.
In accordance with section 302 of the MMA, the Committee will be
intact until December 31, 2009. Committee meetings are expected to
occur every 2 months during the first year and quarterly thereafter.
Committee meetings will be held in the Baltimore/Washington DC area.
(We will reimburse travel expenses, which will be based on government
per diem rates and travel policy.)
B. Composition of the Program Oversight Committee (PAOC)
We have particular interest in individuals with expertise in DME,
prosthetics, orthotics, or supplies (DMEPOS) and competitive bidding,
as well as experience in furnishing services and items in the rural and
the urban marketplace. The PAOC will be composed of 12 to 15 members
from the following broad representation:
Beneficiary/consumer representatives.
Physicians and other practitioners.
Manufacturers.
Suppliers.
Professional standards organizations.
Financial standards specialists.
Data management specialists.
Association representatives.
Experts in shipping fragile medical materials.
Other. (If you believe that representatives of other
specialties or with other skills should be included on the committee,
you may indicate the category or respective categories and you may
nominate an individual for that category.)
III. Submission of Nominations
This notice is requesting nominations for membership on the PAOC.
The Secretary will consider qualified individuals who are nominated and
determined to have the expertise required to meet specific agency needs
and who will ensure an appropriate balance of membership.
Nominations may be made for one or more qualified individuals and
self-nominations will also be accepted. Each nomination must include
the following:
1. A letter of nomination that includes the following--
a. Contact information for both the nominator and nominee (if not
the same).
b. The category, as specified in section II.B. of this notice for
which the nomination is being made (for example, suppliers or
association representatives).
2. A curriculum vitae or resume of the nominee that includes a
statement of the nominee's current professional responsibilities (not
to exceed five pages).
3. A statement that the nominee is willing to serve on the
committee for its duration (that is, until December 31, 2009). This
statement should also include a discussion of the nominee's relevant
experience (not to exceed three pages). (For self-nominations, this
information may be included in the nomination letter.)
Authority: Section 302(b) of the Medicare Prescription Drug,
Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA).
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program No. 93.774,
Medicare--Supplementary Medical Insurance Program)
Dated: May 27, 2004.
Mark B. McClellan,
Administrator, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
[FR Doc. 04-12434 Filed 5-28-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-01-P