Health care fraud and abuse data collection program: technical revisions to Healthcare Integrity and Protection Data Bank data collection activities. Final rule

The rule finalizes technical changes to the Healthcare Integrity and Protection Data Bank (HIPDB) data collection reporting requirements by clarifying the types of personal numeric identifiers that may be reported to the data bank in connection with adverse actions. The rule clarifies that in lieu of a Social Security Number (SSN), an individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN) may be reported to the data bank when, in those limited situations, an individual does not have an SSN.     

Enhancing accurate data collection in mass fatality kinship identifications: Lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina

A mass fatality DNA identification effort is a complex process in which direct matching and kinship analysis is used for identifying human remains. Kinship DNA identification is an important tool in the identification process in which victim's DNA profiles are compared to the profiles of “known” biologically related reference samples. Experience from the 9/11 World Trade Center DNA identification efforts showed that forms used to record biological relationships are important and that inaccurately documented information may hamper the kinship analysis and DNA identification process. In the identification efforts following Hurricane Katrina, a Family and/or Donor Reference Collection (FDRC) form was used as a means to document the reported relationship between the reference DNA donor and the purported missing individual. This FDRC form was developed based upon lessons learned from 9/11 and the Tsunami identification efforts. This paper analyses the effectiveness of the FDRC form used in the Hurricane Katrina kinship DNA identification efforts and proposes an improved sample collection form for kinship and other donor reference samples. The data presented can be used to enhance the accuracy of the data collection process through an improved sample collection form, streamlining the DNA kinship identification process and decreasing the burden on valuable resources.     

Medical care collection or recovery--VA. Notice

In a companion document published in the "Proposed Rules" section of this issue of the Federal Register, we proposed to amend VA's medical regulations concerning collection or recovery by VA for medical care or services provided or furnished to a veteran: (i) For a non-service connected disability for which the veteran is entitled to care (or the payment of expenses of care) under a health-plan contract; (ii) For a non-service connected disability incurred incident to the veteran's employment and covered under a worker's compensation law or plan that provides reimbursement or indemnification for such care and services; or (iii) For a non-service connected disability incurred as a result of a motor vehicle accident in a State that requires automobile accident reparations insurance. The proposed rule includes methodology for establishing charges for VA medical care or services. Using this methodology, information for calculating proposed charge amounts at individual VA facilities for inpatient facility charges, skilled nursing facility/sub-acute inpatient facility charges, outpatient facility charges, and physician charges is set forth below. If this methodology were adopted subsequently as a final rule, the applicable data in this document, designed for the period August 1998 through September 1999, would be used for the period from the effective date of the final rule through September 1999. Accordingly, interested parties may wish to retain this document for future reference.     

Medical devices; hearing aids; technical data amendments. Direct final rule

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is amending its regulations governing hearing aid labeling to reference the most recent version of the consensus standard used to determine the technical data to be included in labeling for hearing aids. We are amending the regulations to require that manufacturers may use state-of-the-art methods to provide technical data in hearing aid labeling. FDA is also amending the regulations to update an address and remove an outdated requirement. FDA is amending the regulations in accordance with its direct final rule procedures. Elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register, we are publishing a companion proposed rule under FDA's usual procedures for notice and comment rulemaking to provide a procedural framework to finalize the rule in the event we receive a significant adverse comment and withdraw this direct final rule.     

Longitudinal and cross-sectional data collection and analysis in the study of crime and delinquency

In response to recent debates about the utility of longitudinal as opposed to cross-sectional designs in the study of crime and delinquency, we examine empirical evidence on the extent to which longitudinal and cross-sectional data may be used interchangeably without altering substantive conclusions. We distinguish between longitudinal or cross-sectional methods of data collection and longitudinal or cross-sectional data, and acknowledge that longitudinal data may be collected by using a cross-sectional method. We examine the extent to which longitudinal data collected cross-sectionally are compatible with longitudinal data collected in a prospective longitudinal design. We then compare correlations and predictive models that use cross-sectional and longitudinal data to study the same substantive problem. We conclude with an examination of the issue of temporal order as a test of competing hypotheses. We find that longitudinal data collected in a cross-sectional design do not consistently produce the same results as longitudinal data collected in a prospective longitudinal design, and that longitudinal and cross-sectional data do not consistently yield the same substantive results in correlation and prediction models. Longitudinal data allow us to generate strong tests of competing hypotheses which would be impossible without longitudinal data. We conclude that cross-sectional data, or longitudinal data collected in cross-sectional designs, are inadequate substitutes for prospectively collected longitudinal data in the study of crime and delinquency.     

Medicare and Medicaid programs; hospital conditions of participation; identification of potential organ, tissue, and eye donors and transplant hospitals' provision of transplant-related data--HCFA. Final rule

This final rule addresses only provisions relating to organ donation and transplantation. It imposes several requirements a hospital must meet that are designed to increase organ donation. One of these requirements is that a hospital must have an agreement with the Organ Procurement Organization (OPO) designated by the Secretary, under which the hospital will contact the OPO in a timely manner about individuals who die or whose death is imminent in the hospital. The OPO will then determine the individual's medical suitability for donation. As well, the hospital must have an agreement with at least one tissue bank and at least one eye bank to cooperative in the retrieval processing, preservation, storage, and distribution of tissue and eyes, as long as the agreement does not interfere with organ donation. The final rule requires a hospital to ensure, in collaboration with the OPO with which it has an agreement, that the family of every potential donor is informed of its opinion to donate organs or tissues or not to donate. Under the final rule, hospital must work with the OPO and at least one tissue bank and one eye bank in educating staff on donation issues, reviewing death records to improve identification of potential donors, and maintaining potential donors while necessary testing and placement of organs and tissues take place. In addition, transplant hospitals must provide organ-transplant-related data, as requested by the OPTN, the Scientific Registry, and the OPOs. The hospital must also provide, if requested, such data directly to the Department.     

Patient protection and Affordable Care Act; data collection to support standards related to essential health benefits; recognition of entities for the accreditation of qualified health plans. Final rule

This final rule establishes data collection standards necessary to implement aspects of section 1302 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Affordable Care Act), which directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to define essential health benefits. This final rule outlines the data on applicable plans to be collected from certain issuers to support the definition of essential health benefits. This final rule also establishes a process for the recognition of accrediting entities for purposes of certification of qualified health plans.     

Medicare and Medicaid programs; Medicare-Medicaid coverage data bank requirements: preliminary guidance--HCFA. Notice

This notice informs the public about section 1144 of the Social Security Act, which is self-implementing, and provides preliminary guidance to employers who are required to report information about all individuals covered by group health plans to a newly established Medicare-Medicaid Coverage Data Bank. Information in the data bank will be used to help identify situations where employer group health plans are responsible for making primary payments for services received by Medicare or Medicaid beneficiaries. This notice provides: information on the background and legislative authority for the data bank; definitions of key terms; reporting requirements; the identity of entities that are required to, or may, report; reporting dates; penalties for noncompliance; and methods of reporting.     

Administrative simplification: adoption of a standard for a unique health plan identifier; addition to the National Provider Identifier requirements; and a change to the compliance date for the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Edition (ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS) medical data code sets. Final rule

This final rule adopts the standard for a national unique health plan identifier (HPID) and establishes requirements for the implementation of the HPID. In addition, it adopts a data element that will serve as an other entity identifier (OEID), or an identifier for entities that are not health plans, health care providers, or individuals, but that need to be identified in standard transactions. This final rule also specifies the circumstances under which an organization covered health care provider must require certain noncovered individual health care providers who are prescribers to obtain and disclose a National Provider Identifier (NPI). Lastly, this final rule changes the compliance date for the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) for diagnosis coding, including the Official ICD-10-CM Guidelines for Coding and Reporting, and the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Procedure Coding System (ICD-10-PCS) for inpatient hospital procedure coding, including the Official ICD-10-PCS Guidelines for Coding and Reporting, from October 1, 2013 to October 1, 2014.     

Health care fraud and abuse data collection program: reporting of final adverse actions. Office of Inspector General (OIG), HHS. Final rule

This final rule establishes a new CFR part to implement the statutory requirements of section 1128E of the Social Security Act, as added by section 221(a) of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996. Section 221(a) of HIPAA specifically directs the Secretary to establish a national health care fraud and abuse data collection program for the reporting and disclosing of certain final adverse actions taken against health care providers, suppliers and practitioners, and to maintain a data base of final adverse actions taken against health care providers, suppliers and practitioners.     

Health care fraud and abuse data collection program: reporting of final adverse actions--Office of Inspector General (OIG), HHS. Notice of proposed rulemaking

This proposed rule would establish a new 45 CFR part 61 to implement the statutory requirements of section 1128E of the Social Security Act, as added by section 221(a) of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996. Section 221(a) of HIPAA specifically directed the Secretary to establish a national health care fraud and abuse data collection program for the reporting and disclosing of certain final adverse actions taken against health care providers, suppliers, or practitioners, and maintain a data base of final adverse actions taken against health care providers, suppliers and practitioners.     

Legal grounds to process personal data under Spanish legislation after the ECJ Judgment of 24 November 2011 (the ASNEF and FECEMD case)

Spanish law on personal data protection regulates (among other issues) the legal bases that permit the processing of data in a way that is similar to that set out in Directive 95/46/EC. Consent constitutes the general rule although data may be processed without it if necessary for administration functions, within the framework of a contractual relationship, in order to safeguard the vital interests of the data subject or if they are included in sources accessible to the public. However, unlike the Directive, legitimate interest is not recognised as an independent reason for processing data, whereas a legal ground that is not set out in community law is included, i.e., sources accessible to the public. This paper analyses these two cases, taking as its starting point consent, along with the consequences that the ECJ Judgment of 24 November 2011 regarding the interpretation of Article 7 of Directive 95/46/EC may have and giving attention to the revision of this Directive itself.     

Medicaid program; coverage of personal care services--HCFA. Final rule

This final rule specifies the revised requirements for Medicaid coverage of personal care services furnished in a home or other location as an optional benefit, effective for services furnished on or after October 1, 1994. In particular, this final rule specifies that personal care services may be furnished in a home or other location by any individual who is qualified to do so. This rule conforms the Medicaid regulations to the provisions of section 13601(a)(5) of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993, which added section 1905(a)(24) to the Social Security Act. Additionally, we are making two minor changes to the Medicaid regulations concerning home health services.     

Big genetic data and its big data protection challenges

The use of various forms of big data have revolutionised scientific research. This includes research in the field of genetics in areas ranging from medical research to anthropology. Developments in this area have inter alia been characterised by the ability to sequence genome wide sequences (GWS) cheaply, the ability to share and combine with other forms of complimentary data and ever more powerful processing techniques that have become possible given tremendous increases in computing power. Given that many if not most of these techniques will make use of personal data it is necessary to take into account data protection law. This article looks at challenges for researchers that will be presented by the EU's General Data Protection Regulation, which will be in effect from May 2018. The very nature of research with big data in general and genetic data in particular means that in many instances compliance will be onerous, whilst in others it may even be difficult to envisage how compliance may be possible. Compliance concerns include issues relating to ‘purpose limitation’, ‘data minimisation’ and ‘storage limitation’. Other requirements, including the need to facilitate data subject rights and potentially conduct a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) may provide further complications for researchers. Further critical issues to consider include the choice of legal base: whether to opt for what is often seen as the ‘default option’ (i.e. consent) or to process under the so called ‘scientific research exception’. Each presents its own challenges (including the likely need to gain ethical approval) and opportunities that will have to be considered according to the particular context in question.     

Medicare and Medicaid programs; approved information collection requirements and HCFA's claims collection authority--HCFA. Final rule with comment period

This final rule updates our display of control numbers assigned by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approved "collection of information" requirements contained in regulations governing the Medicare and Medicaid programs. In addition, it incorporates a technical change to our regulations to reflect increased agency authority under the Federal Claims Collection Act, 31 U.S.C. 3711 et seq. This rule is issued in accordance with OMB regulations concerning approved collections of information and to conform to changes made by Public Law 101-552.     

Predicting the postmortem interval using human intestinal microbiome data and random forest algorithm

Gradual changes in microbial communities in a human body after death can be used to determine postmortem interval (PMI). In this study, gut microflora samples were collected from the vermiform appendix and the transverse colon of human cadavers with PMIs between 5 and 192 h. The results revealed that the appendix might be an excellent intestinal sampling site and the appendix flora had an inferred succession rule during human body decomposition. Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and their respective subclasses showed a predictable succession rule in relative abundance over time. A Random Forest regression model was developed to correlate human gut microbiota with PMI. We believe that our findings have increased the knowledge of the composition and abundance of the gut microbiota in human corpses, and suggest that the use of the human appendix microbial succession may be a potential method for forensic estimation of the time of death.     

Neighborhood immigrant concentration and violent crime reporting to the police: A multilevel analysis of data from the National Crime Victimization Survey*

Using data from the Area‐Identified National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), we provide a national assessment of the impact of neighborhood immigrant concentration on whether violence is reported to the police. By drawing on multiple theoretical perspectives, we outline how the level of violence reporting could be higher or lower in immigrant neighborhoods, as well as how this may depend on individual race/ethnicity and the history of immigration in the county in which immigrant neighborhoods are located. Controlling for both individual‐ and neighborhood‐level conditions, our findings indicate that within traditional immigrant counties, rates of violence reporting in immigrant neighborhoods are similar to those observed elsewhere. In contrast, within newer immigrant destinations, we observe much lower rates of violence reporting in neighborhoods with a large concentration of immigrants. Our study findings reveal comparable patterns for Whites, Blacks, and Latinos. The results have important implications for theory, policy, and future research.     

转型期的中国货币政策规则：基于拟合效果的选择

从拟合效果的角度来分析通货膨胀目标制和泰勒规则这两大最流行的货币政策规则在中国的选择问题,研究结果表明,从对中国利率走势的预测能力来看,通货膨胀目标制远远优于泰勒规则.因此,中国人民银行要想提高对宏观经济的把握能力,及时准确地获取宏观经济信息,应该选择通货膨胀目标制并积极创造实行通胀目标制的各种条件.     

国产及山寨手机中QQ聊天记录恢复、提取的探讨

通过分析国产及山寨手机的软件结构特征,发现QQ数据的存储规律,结合实例介绍在国产手机、山寨手机上应用取证分析工具对QQ数据进行解析、提取的步骤、方法。