Medicaid program; model Medicaid application form--HCFA. Notice

This notice publishes a model Medicaid application form that States have the option of using in full, in part, with modification or not at all. It would be used for noninstitutionalized individuals applying for benefits under title XIX of the Social Security Act who are not receiving cash assistance under the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program, Part A of title IV of the Social Security Act. This notice is published in accordance with section 6506(b) of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1989 (Pub. L. 101-239), which requires the Secretary to develop a model Medicaid application form for publication in the Federal Register.     

Legal implications of employee assistance programs.

Employers who offer EAPs should be aware of their rights as well as the rights of employees. Appropriate steps should be taken to assure that employees are fully informed of the conditions of participating in a program prior to volunteering for treatment. An issue that must be considered is the confidentiality of information arising during the course of treatment. Several court cases involving the physician-patient relationship offer guidelines in this area.     

Medicare and Medicaid programs; quarterly listing of program issuances--second quarter, 1998--HCFA. Notice

This notice lists HCFA manual instructions, substantive and interpretive regulations, and other Federal Register notices that were published during April, May, and June of 1998 that relate to the Medicare and Medicaid programs. It also identifies certain devices with investigational device exemption numbers approved by the Food and Drug Administration that may be potentially covered under Medicare. Section 1871(c) of the Social Security Act requires that we publish a list of Medicare issuances in the Federal Register at least every 3 months. Although we are not mandated to do so by statute, for the sake of completeness of the listing, we are including all Medicaid issuances and Medicare and Medicaid substantive and interpretive regulations (proposed and final) published during this timeframe.     

Medicare and Medicaid programs; quarterly listing of program issuances--first quarter, 1998--HCFA. Notice

This notice lists HCFA manual instructions, substantive and interpretive regulations, and other Federal Register notices that were published during January, February, and March of 1998 that relate to the Medicare and Medicaid programs. It also identifies certain devices with investigational device exemption numbers approved by the Food and Drug Administration that may be potentially covered under Medicare. Section 1871(c) of the Social Security Act requires that we publish a list of Medicare issuances in the Federal Register at least every 3 months. Although we are not mandated to do so by statute, for the sake of completeness of the listing, we are including all Medicaid issuances and Medicare and Medicaid substantive and interpretive regulations (proposed and final) published during this timeframe.     

Medicare and Medicaid programs; quarterly listing of program issuances and coverage decisions--HCFA. Notice

This notice lists HCFA manual instructions, substantive and interpretive regulations and other Federal Register notices, and statements of policy that were published during October, November, and December of 1992 that relate to the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Section 1871(c) of the Social Security Act requires that we publish a list of Medicare issuances in the Federal Register at least every 3 months. Although we are not mandated to do so by statute, for the sake of completeness of the listing, we are including all Medicaid issuances and Medicare and Medicaid substantive and interpretive regulations (proposed and final) published during this timeframe. We also are providing the content of revisions to the Medicare Coverage Issues Manual published between October 1 and December 31, 1992. On August 21, 1989 (54 FR 34555), we published the content of the Manual and indicated that we will publish quarterly any updates. Adding to this listing the complete text of the changes to the Medicare Coverage Issues Manual allows us to fulfill this requirement in a manner that facilitates identification of coverage and other changes in our manuals.     

Medicare and Medicaid programs; quarterly listing of program issuances--second quarter 1997--HCFA. Notice

This notice lists HCFA manual instructions, substantive and interpretive regulations, and other Federal Register notices that were published during April, May, and June of 1997 that relate to the Medicare and Medicaid programs. It also identifies certain devices with investigational device exemption numbers approved by the Food and Drug Administration that may be potentially covered under Medicare. Section 1871(c) of the Social Security Act requires that we publish a list of Medicare issuances in the Federal Register at least every months. Although we are not mandated to do so by statute, for the sake of completeness of the listing, we are including all Medicaid issuances and Medicare and Medicaid substantive and interpretive regulations (proposed and final) published during this time frame.     

Medicare and Medicaid programs; quarterly listing of program issuances--fourth quarter 1997--HCFA. Notice

This notice lists HCFA manual instructions, substantive and interpretive regulations, and other Federal Register notices that were published during October, November, and December of 1997 that relate to the Medicare and Medicaid programs. It also identifies certain devices with investigational device exemption numbers approved by the Food and Drug Administration that may be potentially covered under Medicare. Section 1871(c) of the Social Security Act requires that we publish a list of Medicare issuances in the Federal Register at least every 3 months. Although we are not mandated to do so by statute, for the sake of completeness of the listing, we are including all Medicaid issuances and Medicare and Medicaid substantive and interpretive regulations (proposed and final) published during this timeframe.     

Medicare and Medicaid programs; quarterly listing of program issuances--first quarter 1997--HCFA. Notice

This notice lists HCFA manual instructions, substantive and interpretive regulations, and other Federal Register notices that were published during January, February, and March of 1997 that relate to the Medicare and Medicaid programs. It also identifies certain devices with investigational device exemption numbers approved by the Food and Drug Administration that may be potentially covered under Medicare. Section 1871(c) of the Social Security Act requires that we publish a list of Medicare issuances in the Federal Register at least every 3 months. Although we are not mandated to do so by statute, for the sake of completeness of the listing, we are including all Medicaid issuances and Medicare and Medicaid substantive and interpretive regulations (proposed and final) published during this time frame.     

Medicare and Medicaid programs; quarterly listing of program issuances--third quarter 1997--HCFA. Notice

This notice lists HCFA manual instructions, substantive and interpretive regulations, and other Federal Register notices that were published during July, August, and September of 1997 that relate to the Medicare and Medicaid programs. It also identifies certain devices with investigational device exemption numbers approved by the Food and Drug Administration that may be potentially covered under Medicare. Section 1871(c) of the Social Security Act requires that we publish a list of Medicare issuances in the Federal Register at least every 3 months. Although we are not mandated to do so by statute, for the sake of completeness of the listing, we are including all Medicaid issuances and Medicare and Medicaid substantive and interpretive regulations (proposed and final) published during this time frame.     

Medicare and Medicaid programs; quarterly listing of program issuances--third quarter 1996--HCFA. Notice

This notice lists HCFA manual instructions, substantive and interpretive regulations, and other Federal Register notices that were published during July, August, and September of 1996 that relate to the Medicare and Medicaid programs. It also identifies certain devices with investigational device exemption numbers approved by the Food and Drug Administration that may be potentially covered under Medicare. Section 1871(c) of the Social Security Act requires that we publish a list of Medicare issuances in the Federal Register at least every 3 months. Although we are not mandated to do so by statute, for the sake of completeness of the listing, we are including all Medicaid issuances and Medicare and Medicaid substantive and interpretive regulations (proposed and final) published during this time frame.     

Medicare and Medicaid programs; quarterly listing of program issuances; fourth quarter 1996--HCFA. Notice

This notice lists HCFA manual instructions, substantive and interpretive regulations, and other Federal Register notices that were published during October, November, and December of 1996 that relate to the Medicare and Medicaid programs. It also indicates certain devices with investigational device exemption numbers approved by the Food and Drug Administration that may be potentially covered under Medicare. Section 1871(c) of the Social Security Act requires that we publish a list of Medicare issuances in the Federal Register at least every 3 months. Although we are not mandated to do so by statute, for the sake of completeness of the listing, we are including all Medicaid issuances and Medicare and Medicaid substantive and interpretive regulations (proposed and final) published during this time frame.     

Medicare and Medicaid programs, freedom of information (FOI) guidelines--HCFA. Notice

In accordance with the settlement agreement reached in the case of Home Health Line v. HCFA, District Court of District of Columbia, Civil Action (D.D.C., C.A.) No. 90-1006 LFO, HCFA is publishing in the Federal Register a notice describing and clarifying HCFA's guidelines concerning expedited processing of Freedom of Information (FOI) requests.     

Medicare, Medicaid, and Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant programs; civil money penalties and assessments for false or improper claims--Department of Health and Human Services. Notice of proposed rulemaking

These proposed regulations are intended to strengthen the Department's ability to protect the health care financing programs against persons and organizations who defraud and abuse those programs. The regulations would specify procedures for implementing the authority provided to the Department by section 2105 of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981 (Pub. L. 97-35), as amended by section 137(b)(26) of the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982 (Pub. L. 97-248), to impose civil money penalties and assessments administratively for the filing of false or certain other improper claims in the Medicare, Medicaid, or Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant programs. The statute also permits an individual upon whom the Department imposes a civil money penalty or assessment to be suspended from participation in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Until enactment of the civil money penalties legislation, the federal government had to rely upon litigation under the False Claims Act or criminal proceedings in order to compel restitution of funds falsely or improperly claimed under HHS health care financing programs.     

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.     

Medicare and Medicaid programs; announcement of additional application from hospital requesting waiver for organ procurement service area--HCFA. Notice with comment period

This notice announces an additional application that HCFA has received from a hospital requesting waiver from dealing with its designated organ procurement organization (OPO) in accordance with section 1138(a)(2) of the Act. This notice requests comments from OPOs and the general public for our consideration in determining whether such a waiver should be granted.     

Medicare and Medicaid programs; quarterly listing of program issuances and coverage decisions--fourth quarter 1993--HCFA. Notice

This notice lists HCFA manual instructions, substantive and interpretive regulations and other Federal Register notices, and statements of policy that were published during October, November, and December of 1993 that relate to the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Section 1871(c) of the Social Security Act requires that we publish a list of Medicare issuances in the Federal Register at least every 3 months. Although we are not mandated to do so by statute, for the sake of completeness of the listing, we are including all Medicaid issuances and Medicare and Medicaid substantive and interpretive regulations (proposed and final) published during this timeframe. We are also providing the content of revisions to the Medicare Coverage Issues Manual published between October 1 and December 31, 1993. On August 21, 1989 (54 FR 34555), we published the content of the Manual and indicated that we will publish quarterly any updates. Adding to this listing the complete text of the changes to the Medicare Coverage Issues Manual allows us to fulfill this requirement in a manner that facilitates identification of coverage and other changes in our manuals.     

Medicare and Medicaid programs; quarterly listing of program issuances and coverage decisions--first quarter 1993--HCFA. Notice

This notice lists HCFA manual instructions, substantive and interpretive regulations and other Federal Register notices, and statements of policy that were published during January, February, and March 1993 that relate to the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Section 1871(c) of the Social Security Act requires that we publish a list of Medicare issuances in the Federal Register at least every 3 months. Although we are not mandated to do so by statute, for the sake of completeness of the listing, we are including all Medicaid issuances and Medicare and Medicaid substantive and interpretive regulations (proposed and final) published during this timeframe. There are no revisions to the Medicare Coverage Issues Manual this quarter. However, two notices were published in the Federal Register during the first quarter of 1993 that announced changes made to the Medicare Coverage Issues Manual before to January 1, 1993.     

Medicare and Medicaid programs; quarterly listing of program issuances and coverage decisions--third quarter 1993--HCFA. Notice

This notice lists HCFA manual instructions, substantive and interpretive regulations and other Federal Register notices, and statements of policy that were published during July, August, and September of 1993 that relate to the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Section 1871(c) of the Social Security Act requires that we publish a list of Medicare issuances in the Federal Register at least every 3 months. Although we are not mandated to do so by statute, for the sake of completeness of the listing, we are including all Medicaid issuances and Medicare and Medicaid substantive and interpretive regulations (proposed and final) published during this timeframe. No revisions to the Medicare Coverage Issues Manual were published during the third quarter of 1993.     

Medicare and Medicaid programs; quarterly listing of program issuances--third quarter, 1998. Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA), HHS. Notice

This notice lists HCFA manual instructions, substantive and interpretive regulations, and other Federal Register notices that were published during July, August, and September 1998, relating to the Medicare and Medicaid programs. This notice also identifies certain devices with investigational device exemption numbers approved by the Food and Drug Administration that potentially may be covered under Medicare. Section 1871(c) of the Social Security Act requires that we publish a list of Medicare issuances in the Federal Register at least every 3 months. Although we are not mandated to do so by statute, for the sake of completeness of the listing, we are also including all Medicaid issuances and Medicare and Medicaid substantive and interpretive regulations (proposed and final) published during this timeframe.     

Medicare and Medicaid programs; surety bond requirements for home health agencies--HCFA. Notice of intent to amend regulations

This document announces our present intent to make technical revisions to the surety bond and capitalization regulations for home health agencies (HHAs) published on January 5, 1998 (63 FR 292-355). These intended revisions include: generally limiting the Surety's liability on the bond to the term when it is determined that funds owed to Medicare and Medicaid have become "unpaid," regardless of when the payment, overpayment or other action causing such funds to be owed took place; establishing that a Surety will remain liable on a bond for an additional two years after the date an HHA leaves the Medicare or Medicaid program; and giving a Surety the right to appeal an overpayment, a civil money penalty, or an assessment if the HHA to which the bond has been issued fails to pursue its rights of appeal. These revisions should help smaller, reputable HHAs, such as non-profit visiting nurse associations, obtain surety bonds without weakening protections to Medicare and Medicaid inherent in the bond requirements.