Medicare program; changes to the hospital inpatient prospective payment systems and fiscal year 2008 rates

We are revising the Medicare hospital inpatient prospective payment systems (IPPS) for operating and capital-related costs to implement changes arising from our continuing experience with these systems, and to implement certain provisions made by the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (Pub. L. 109-171), the Medicare Improvements and Extension Act under Division B, Title I of the Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006 (Pub. L. 109-432), and the Pandemic and All Hazards Preparedness Act (Pub. L. 109-417). In addition, in the Addendum to this final rule with comment period, we describe the changes to the amounts and factors used to determine the rates for Medicare hospital inpatient services for operating costs and capital-related costs. We also are setting forth the rate of increase limits for certain hospitals and hospital units excluded from the IPPS that are paid on a reasonable cost basis subject to these limits, or that have a portion of a prospective payment system payment based on reasonable cost principles. These changes are applicable to discharges occurring on or after October 1, 2007. In this final rule with comment period, as part of our efforts to further refine the diagnosis related group (DRG) system under the IPPS to better recognize severity of illness among patients, for FY 2008, we are adopting a Medicare Severity DRG (MS DRG) classification system for the IPPS. We are also adopting the structure of the MS-DRG system for the LTCH prospective payment system (referred to as MS-LTC-DRGs) for FY 2008. Among the other policy decisions and changes that we are making, we are making changes related to: limited revisions of the reclassification of cases to MS-DRGs, the relative weights for the MS-LTC-DRGs; applications for new technologies and medical services add-on payments; the wage data, including the occupational mix data, used to compute the FY 2008 wage indices; payments to hospitals for the indirect costs of graduate medical education; submission of hospital quality data; provisions governing the application of sanctions relating to the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act of 1986 (EMTALA); provisions governing the disclosure of physician ownership in hospitals and patient safety measures; and provisions relating to services furnished to beneficiaries in custody of penal authorities.     

2004年法律史学新进展

2004年国内法律史学的新进展,一是法律史学的机构设置与开展重要的学术活动;二是最新法律史料、教材、论著、译著的出版与简介;三是法律史学的热点问题研究与理论深化。从中可见法律史学在回应社会与学术挑战方面的活力与价值,也可见法律史学人的努力与贡献。     

坚定不移走中国特色社会主义伟大道路——学习胡锦涛总书记在中央党校的重要讲话

本文是学习胡锦涛总书记在中央党校重要讲话的体会,阐述了中国特色社会主义的科学内涵和主要特征,以及如何坚持走中国特色社会主义发展道路。     

20世纪80年代以来山西文物警察工作研究

山西最近20多年的文物犯罪,经历了20世纪80年代初盗掘犯罪出现、90年代前期盗毁寺观造像犯罪凸现、新世纪初文保单位范围外的盗掘和户外石刻盗窃增多三个演变阶段。山西公安机关开展文物警察工作的经验有专项行动、重点打击,提前警务、社区联动,机构单设、体制创新等。建议在今后一段时间,公安机关进一步加强打击盗掘古墓、盗窃户外石刻犯罪的力度,进一步加强情报互通和串并案、经费投入和装备改善以及内部管理体制改革等工作。     

对进一步加强法治政府建设的思考

紧密结合党的十七大精神,从建立健全行政法律体系、深化行政管理体制改革、完善行政执法体制、强化行政监督机制等方面全面论述了我国当前全面推进依法行政、进一步加强法治政府建设应有的主要内涵。     

联合国《到2000年及其后世界青年行动纲领》实施十周年(1995～2004)特别调查:中国青年发展报告

前言中国青年是一个规模巨大的群体。2003年人口变动抽样调查数据显示,全国14至29岁青年共有3.11亿人,14至35岁青年共有4.65亿人。本报告在《到2000年及其后世界青年行动纲领》通过10周年之际,综述中国青年的状况。1995年至2004年是中国改革开放和现代化建设进程中十分重要的10     

加入《联合国反腐败公约》后构建我国反腐败国际合作机制的思考

据2001年最高人民检察院追逃会上公布的资料,有超过4000名中国外逃贪官在国外“自由主义”的天空下接受“荫护”,我国涉腐贪官外逃形势严峻。而我国反腐败的国际合作机制存在的诸多问题,如法规制定的视野不够宽,惩治腐败的法律呈现非系统化,反腐败机构具有非独立性等等。要构建我国反腐败国际合作机制必须树立国际理念,法律制定要与国际法规相契合,积极探索反腐败国际合作的便利路径,完善国内监督机制等。     

Central America and Mexico gang assessment

Rising crime is threatening democratic development and slowing economic growth across Central America and Mexico. Gang activity has transcended the borders of Central America, Mexico, and the United States and evolved into a transnational concern that demands a coordinated, multi-national response to effectively combat increasingly sophisticated criminal gang networks.