Notice2021-25560
Ground Ambulance and Patient Billing Advisory Committee
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
November 23, 2021
Issuing agencies
Health and Human Services DepartmentCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Abstract
The No Surprises Act, enacted as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Secretary of Labor, and the Secretary of the Treasury (the Secretaries) to establish and convene an advisory committee for the purpose of reviewing options to improve the disclosure of charges and fees for ground ambulance services, better inform consumers of insurance options for such services, and protect consumers from balance billing. This notice announces the establishment of the Advisory Committee on Ground Ambulance and Patient Billing (the GAPB Advisory Committee) and solicits nominations for members to be appointed by the Secretaries.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 223 (Tuesday, November 23, 2021)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 223 (Tuesday, November 23, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66565-66566]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2021-25560]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
[CMS-9901-N]
Ground Ambulance and Patient Billing Advisory Committee
AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Department of Health
and Human Services.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The No Surprises Act, enacted as part of the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2021, requires the Secretary of Health and Human
Services, the Secretary of Labor, and the Secretary of the Treasury
(the Secretaries) to establish and convene an advisory committee for
the purpose of reviewing options to improve the disclosure of charges
and fees for ground ambulance services, better inform consumers of
insurance options for such services, and protect consumers from balance
billing. This notice announces the establishment of the Advisory
Committee on Ground Ambulance and Patient Billing (the GAPB Advisory
Committee) and solicits nominations for members to be appointed by the
Secretaries.
DATES: Nominations for membership will be considered if they are
received by December 13, 2021.
ADDRESSES: Nominations and requests for copies of the charter for the
Advisory Committee on Ground Ambulance and Patient Billing may be
submitted to the addresses specified below. All nominations will be
shared among the Departments. Please do not submit duplicates.
Nominations or requests for copies of the GAPB Advisory Committee
Charter must be submitted in one of the following two ways:
1. Electronically. You may submit nominations or charter requests
by email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#4b0c0a1b090a2f3d223824393208242626223f3f2e2e0b28263865232338652c243d"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="feb9bfaebcbf9a88978d918c87bd919393978a8a9b9bbe9d938dd096968dd0999188">[email protected]</span></a>.
2. By regular mail. You may mail nominations or charter requests to
the following address: Attention: Shaheen Halim, Ph.D., J.D., Center
for Consumer Information & Insurance Oversight, Centers for Medicare &
Medicaid Services, 7500 Security Boulevard, Mail Stop WB-22-75,
Baltimore, MD 21244-8016.
Please allow sufficient time for mailed comments to be received
before the close of the nomination period.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rogelyn D. McLean, Centers for
Medicare & Medicaid Services, HHS, at (301) 492-4229.
Press inquiries may be submitted by phone to (202) 690-6145 or by
email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#49393b2c3a3a092a243a6721213a672e263f"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="afdfddcadcdcefccc2dc81c7c7dc81c8c0d9">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
Section 117(a) of the No Surprises Act, enacted as part of the
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, div. BB, tit. I, Public Law 116-
260 (Dec. 27, 2020), requires the Secretaries to establish and convene
an advisory committee for the purpose of reviewing options to improve
the disclosure of charges and fees for ground ambulance services,
better inform consumers of insurance options for such services, and
protect consumers from balance billing. The GAPB Advisory Committee is
governed by the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act
(FACA), Public Law 92-463 (Oct. 6, 1972), as amended, 5 U.S.C. App. 2.
II. Charter, General Responsibilities, and Composition of the Advisory
Committee on Ground Ambulance and Patient Billing
A. Charter Information and General Responsibilities
On November 16, 2021, the Secretaries of Health and Human Services,
Labor, and the Treasury finalized the charter establishing the GAPB
Advisory Committee. The GAPB Advisory Committee will advise the
Secretaries on options to improve the disclosure of charges and fees
for ground ambulance services, better inform consumers of insurance
options for such services, and protect consumers from balance billing.
The GAPB Advisory Committee must submit a report to the
Secretaries, the Committees on Education and Labor, Energy and
Commerce, and Ways and Means of the House of Representatives, and the
Committees on Finance and Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, that
includes recommendations with respect to the disclosure of charges and
fees for ground ambulance services and insurance coverage, consumer
protection and enforcement authorities of the Departments of Health and
Human Services, Labor, and the Treasury and State authorities, and the
prevention of balance billing to consumers. The recommendations shall
[[Page 66566]]
address, at a minimum, options, best practices, and identified
standards to prevent instances of balance billing; steps that can be
taken by State legislatures, State insurance regulators, State
attorneys general, and other State officials as appropriate, consistent
with current legal authorities regarding consumer protection; and
legislative options for Congress to prevent balance billing.
The GAPB Advisory Committee must submit this report no later than
180 days after the date of its first meeting.
A copy of the charter for the Advisory Committee may be obtained by
submitting a written request to the address specified in the ADDRESSES
section of this notice.
B. Composition of the Advisory Committee on Ground Ambulance and
Patient Billing
The GAPB Advisory Committee shall consist of the following:
(i) The Secretary of Labor, or the Secretary's designee;
(ii) the Secretary of Health and Human Services, or the Secretary's
designee;
(iii) the Secretary of the Treasury, or the Secretary's designee;
(iv) One representative, to be appointed jointly by the
Secretaries, for each of the following:
(I) Each relevant Federal agency, as determined by the Secretaries;
(II) State insurance regulators;
(III) Health insurance providers;
(IV) Patient advocacy groups;
(V) Consumer advocacy groups;
(VI) State and local governments;
(VII) Physician specializing in emergency, trauma, cardiac, or
stroke;
(VIII) State Emergency Medical Services Officials; and
(IX) Emergency medical technicians, paramedics, and other emergency
medical services personnel.
(v) Three representatives, to be appointed jointly by the
Secretaries, to represent the various segments of the ground ambulance
industry.
(vi) Up to an additional 2 representatives otherwise not described
in paragraphs (i) through (v), as determined necessary and appropriate
by Secretaries.
III. Submissions of Nominations
The Secretaries are requesting nominations for membership on the
GAPB Advisory Committee. The Secretaries are also requesting
nominations for a member to serve as the chairperson of the GAPB
Advisory Committee. The Secretaries will consider qualified individuals
who are self-nominated or are nominated by organizations representing
affected stakeholders when selecting those representatives. The
Secretaries will make every effort to appoint members to serve on the
GAPB Advisory Committee from among those candidates determined to have
the technical expertise required to meet specific statutory categories
and Departmental needs, and in a manner to ensure an appropriate
balance of membership. Selection of committee membership will be
consistent with achieving the greatest impact, scope, and credibility
among diverse stakeholders. The diversity in such membership includes,
but is not limited to, race, gender, disability, sexual orientation,
and gender identity.
The Secretaries reserve discretion to appoint members who were not
nominated in response to this notice to serve on the GAPB Advisory
Committee if necessary to meet specific statutory categories and
Departmental needs in a manner to ensure an appropriate balance of
membership.
Any interested person may nominate one or more qualified
individuals (self-nominations will also be accepted). Each nomination
must include the following information:
1. A letter of nomination that contains contact information for
both the nominator and nominee (if not the same).
2. A statement from the nominee that he or she is willing to serve
on the GAPB Advisory Committee for its duration and an explanation of
interest in serving on the GAPB Advisory Committee. The nominee should
also indicate which category or categories he or she is willing to
represent. (For self-nominations, this information may be included in
the nomination letter.)
3. A curriculum vitae that indicates the nominee's educational
experience, as well as relevant professional experience.
4. Two letters of reference that support the nominee's
qualifications for participation on the GAPB Advisory Committee. (For
nominations other than self-nominations, a nomination letter that
includes information supporting the nominee's qualifications may be
counted as one of the letters of reference.)
To ensure that a nomination is considered, the Departments must
receive all of the nomination information specified in section III of
this notice by December 13, 2021. Nominations should be emailed or
mailed to the appropriate address specified in the ADDRESSES section of
this notice.
The Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
(CMS), Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, having reviewed and approved this
document, authorizes Lynette Wilson, who is the Federal Register
Liaison, to electronically sign this document for purposes of
publication in the Federal Register.
Lynette Wilson,
Federal Register Liaison, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
[FR Doc. 2021-25560 Filed 11-19-21; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 4120-01-P
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