Medicare program; prospective payment system for hospital outpatient services; extension of comment period--HCFA. Notice of extension of comment period for proposed rule

This notice extends the comment period for a proposed rule published in the Federal Register on September 8, 1998, (63 FR 47552). In that rule, as required by sections 4521, 4522, and 4523 of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, we proposed to eliminate the formula-driven overpayment for certain outpatient hospital services, extend reductions in payment for costs of hospital outpatient services, and establish in regulations a prospective payment system for hospital outpatient services (and for Medicare Part B services furnished to inpatients who have no Part A coverage.) The comment period is extended for 60 days.