Hill-Burton program; medical facility construction and modernization; federal right of recovery and calculation of interest charges--HRSA. Notice

On July 18, 1984, the President signed the Deficit Reduction Act of 1984. The law contains several provisions affecting medical facilities which are assisted under the Hill-Burton Program and which transfer ownership or control or cease to be used as medical facility. These provisions include authority to waive the Federal right of recovery and methods of calculating interest when recovery is not waived.     

Quality assurance in nuclear medicine facilities; availability of final recommendations--FDA. Notice

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing the availability of final recommendations prepared by its Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) on quality assurance programs in nuclear medicine facilities. The final recommendations include the agency's rationale for the recommendations as well as references that can be used as well as references that can be used as guides in conducting quality control monitoring. These final recommendations are available as a technical report in CDRH's radiation recommendations series. They are intended to encourage and promote the development of voluntary quality assurance programs in nuclear medicine facilities.     

Health maintenance organizations--HRSA. Notice; qualified health maintenance organizations

This notice sets forth the names, addresses, service areas, and dates of qualification of entities determined by the Secretary to be federally qualified health maintenance organizations (HMOs).     

Health maintenance organizations--HRSA. Notice; qualified health maintenance organizations

This notice sets forth the name, addresses, service areas, and dates of qualification of entities determined by the Secretary to be federally qualified health maintenance organizations (HMOs).     

Health maintenance organizations--HRSA. Notice; qualified health maintenance organizations

This notice sets forth the names, addresses, service areas, and dates of qualification of entities determined by the Secretary to be federally qualified health maintenance organizations (HMOs).     

Health maintenance organizations; basic health services; exclusion of in vitro fertilization--HRSA. Notice

This notice of a decision by the Director, Office of Health Maintenance Organizations (OHMO), to allow federally qualified HMOs the option of excluding in vitro fertilization from the basic health services they are required to provide their members.     

Notice of attestations filed by facilities using nonimmigrant aliens as registered nurses--Employment and Training Administration, DOL. Notice

The Department of Labor (DOL) is publishing, for public information, a list of the following health care facilities that have submitted attestations (Form ETA 9029 and explanatory statements) to one of four Regional Offices of DOL (Boston, Chicago, Dallas and Seattle) for the purpose of employing nonimmigrant alien nurses. A decision has been made on these organizations' attestations and they are on file with DOL.     

Project grants for migrant health; proposed rulemaking--Public Health Service. Notice of proposed rulemaking

The Assistant Secretary for Health with the approval of the Secretary of Health and Human Services proposes to revise the regulations governing the Migrant Health Centers grant program. The Health Services and Centers Amendments of 1978 made a number of changes in the statutory requirements governing the operation of the centers. The Amendments, among other things, change pharmacy services from supplemental to primary health services, make former migratory agricultural workers who are disabled eligible for services, establish priority for certain supplemental health services, provide an incentive for maximized collection of fees, permit conversion for certain centers from fee for service to prepaid operations and change the governing board requirements for public centers. The proposed revisions are intended to revise the present regulations consistent with the revised statutory provisions.     

Radiological health; evaluation of radiation exposure in diagnostic radiology examinations; availability of draft recommendations--FDA. Notice

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announces the availability for public review and comment of draft recommendations on evaluation of radiation exposure in diagnostic radiology examinations, prepared by FDA's National Center for Devices and Radiological Health (NCDRH). In addition to the draft recommendations, FDA is making available background information, rationale, and NCDRH's response to comments that were received on a notice of inquiry regarding the need for and content of such recommendations. FDA is also encouraging private groups and individuals to join in the research efforts needed to develop further technique/exposure guidance and suggests a number of principles to be followed in these efforts so all interested parties may achieve consistent and useful results. Final recommendations, when developed, will be published as a technical report in NCDRH's radiation recommendation series.     

Information regarding requirements for health maintenance organizations--HRSA. Notice; information regarding requirements for qualified health maintenance organizations

This notice amends information relating to the requirements for federally qualified health maintenance organizations (HMOs) that was published in the Federal Register on April 29, 1980. The amendment deletes the requirement for a cancellation clause in contracts between an HMO and another party performing the HMO's marketing activities.     

Implementation of Pro-Children Act of 1994--HHS. Notice to prohibit smoking in certain facilities

The Department of Health and Human Services announces the implementation of the Pro-Children Act of 1994, which prohibits smoking in certain facilities in which education, library, day care, health care and early childhood development (including WIC and Head Start) services are provided to children. In accordance with section 1043(d) of the Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services is publishing the prohibitions which restrict smoking in certain indoor facilities.     

Projects grants for community health services; proposed rulemaking--Public Health Service. Notice of proposed rulemaking

The Assistant Secretary for Health with the approval of the Secretary of Health and Human Services proposes to revise the regulations governing the Community Health Centers grant program. The Health Services and Centers Amendments of 1978 made a number of changes in the statutory requirements governing the operation of the centers. The Amendments, among other things, change pharmacy services from supplemental to primary health services, establish priority for certain supplemental health services, provide an incentive for maximized collection of fees, permit conversion of certain centers from fee for service to prepaid operations, and change the governing board requirements or public centers. The proposed revisions are intended to revise the present regulations consistent with the revised statutory provisions.     

Notification procedures for states implementing "alternative mechanisms" in the individual health insurance market--HCFA. Notice

This notice generally describes the statutory provisions under section 111 of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) that guarantee availability of individual health insurance coverage to certain individuals with prior group coverage. It also provides procedural guidance for States that intend to implement an alternative mechanism under section 111 of HIPAA. Finally, this notice describes the statutory provisions that will apply in a State that does not implement an acceptable alternative mechanism. This notice does not establish new policy or requirements.     

Health Care Financing Administration: adoption of the National Bureau of Standards fire safety evaluation system for health care facilities. Notice of comment period

The Department of Health, Education, and Welfare is proposing to extend use of the new Fire Safety Evaluation System (FSES) to all hospitals participating in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. We are seeking public comment on this proposal and on whether to apply the FSES to intermediate care and skilled nursing facilities. The Fire Safety Evaluation System (FSES) was designed by the National Bureau of Standards. It defines the combinations of widely accepted fire safety systems and structural arrangements which can be used by health care facilities to meet safety standards equal to or exceeding those in the Life Safety Code. The FSES provides a framework which guarantees that the high standards of fire safety necessary to protect patients will be met and which is flexible enough to allow for new advances in safety technology and practice. It is based on our experience, which clearly demonstrates that the Life Safety Code can be implemented more effectively and without waste if certain changes are made in the procedures for achieving these mandated levels of safety.     

Contract health care services; reimbursement and Medicare allowable rates--Bureau of Prisons, Dept. of Justice. Notice

The Bureau of Prisons is issuing this Statement of Policy to inform the public that when it becomes necessary to supplement the direct delivery system of health care the Bureau provides to persons committed to its custody, the Bureau ordinarily will contract to purchase health services only with those hospitals, physicians and other health care providers which agree to accept, as payment in full, reimbursement at rates no higher than the prevailing Medicare allowable rates (including deductibles and co-payments). This encompasses those rates established by the Health Care Financing Administration as "sole community providers" or "regional referral centers". The Bureau will phase this policy into the administration of its contract health services program.     

Medicare and Medicaid programs; fire safety requirements for certain health care facilities; amendment. Final rule

This final rule adopts the substance of the April 15, 2004 tentative interim amendment (TIA) 00-1 (101), Alcohol Based Hand Rub Solutions, an amendment to the 2000 edition of the Life Safety Code, published by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). This amendment allows certain health care facilities to place alcohol-based hand rub dispensers in egress corridors under specified conditions. This final rule also requires that nursing facilities at least install battery-operated single station smoke alarms in resident rooms and common areas if they are not fully sprinklered or they do not have system-based smoke detectors in those areas. Finally, this final rule confirms as final the provisions of the March 25, 2005 interim final rule with changes and responds to public comments on that rule.     

Services and treatment for disabled infants; interim model guidelines for health care providers to establish infant care review committees--HHS. Notice of opportunity to comment

These are interim model guidelines to encourage the establishment within health care facilities, especially facilities with tertiary level neonatal care units, of committees for the purposes of educating hospital personnel and families of disabled infants with life-threatening conditions, recommending institutional policies and guidelines concerning the withholding of medically indicated treatment (including appropriate nutrition, hydration, and medication) from such infants, and offering counsel and review in cases involving disabled infants with life-threatening conditions. The publication of these interim model guidelines for public comment is required by section 124(b) of the Child Abuse Amendments of 1984, Pub. L. 98-457.