Proposed Rule2022-15081
Medicare and Medicaid Program; Requirements for Long-Term Care Facilities: Regulatory Provisions To Promote Efficiency, and Transparency Final Rule
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
July 14, 2022
Issuing agencies
Health and Human Services DepartmentCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Abstract
The Social Security Act (the Act) specifies that a Medicare final rule must be published no later than 3 years after the publication date of the proposed rule or interim final rule, as applicable, except under exceptional circumstances. In accordance with the Act, this document announces an extension of the timeline for publication of the final rule and includes a brief explanation of the justification for the variation.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 134 (Thursday, July 14, 2022)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 134 (Thursday, July 14, 2022)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 42137]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-15081]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
42 CFR Part 410, 482, 483, 485, 488
[CMS-3347-RCN]
RIN 0938-AT36
Medicare and Medicaid Program; Requirements for Long-Term Care
Facilities: Regulatory Provisions To Promote Efficiency, and
Transparency Final Rule
AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Department of
Health and Human Services (HHS).
ACTION: Extension of timeline.
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SUMMARY: The Social Security Act (the Act) specifies that a Medicare
final rule must be published no later than 3 years after the
publication date of the proposed rule or interim final rule, as
applicable, except under exceptional circumstances. In accordance with
the Act, this document announces an extension of the timeline for
publication of the final rule and includes a brief explanation of the
justification for the variation.
DATES: As of July 14, 2022, the timeline for publication of the final
rule to finalize the provisions of the proposed rule published on July
18, 2019 (84 FR 34737), is extended until July 18, 2023.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ronisha Blackstone, CMS, (410) 786-
6682.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On July 18, 2019, we published a proposed
rule in the Federal Register entitled ``Medicare and Medicaid Programs;
Requirements for Long-Term Care (LTC) Facilities: Provisions to Promote
Efficiency and Transparency'' (84 FR 34737), which would revise the
Medicare and Medicaid long-term care facility requirements that the
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services had identified as unnecessary,
obsolete, or excessively burdensome. This proposed rule aimed to
increase the ability of health care professionals to apportion
resources to improve resident care by eliminating or reducing
requirements that could impede quality care or that divert resources
away from providing high quality care.
Section 1871(a)(3)(B) of the Social Security Act (the Act) requires
the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (the
Secretary) to publish a Medicare final rule no later than 3 years after
the publication date of the proposed rule or interim final rule, as
applicable, except under exceptional circumstances.
In such circumstances, the Secretary may vary the final rule
publication timeline if the Secretary publishes a Federal Register
notice of the different timeline, including a brief explanation of the
justification for the variation, by no later than the previously
established timeline. To meet the 3-year timeline, the final rule would
have to be published by July 18, 2022. For the reasons discussed below,
we are unable to publish the final rule by July 18, 2022.
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE),
we have prioritized our efforts to address the immediate needs relevant
to the COVID-19 pandemic by issuing appropriate regulatory changes to
increase public health and safety, while taking into consideration ways
to create flexibility and minimize unnecessary regulatory burdens.
These efforts have required considerable focus and resources,
especially to prioritize the publication of interim final rules
relevant to the PHE and to provide guidance to health care facilities.
In response to the proposed rule, we received over 1,500 timely
comments from a variety of stakeholders. The commenters presented
robust policy and technical issues for our consideration, which require
extensive consultation and analysis. Likewise, we need to re-evaluate
the policies and consider the comments provided in light of the current
needs of residents, the impact of the COVID-19 PHE on long-term care
facilities, and the current priorities of the Department of Health and
Human Services related to health and safety and equity.
Therefore, this notice extends the timeline to finalize the
provisions in the June 18, 2022 proposed rule for 1 year, until July
18, 2023.
Dated: July 11, 2022.
Wilma Robinson,
Deputy Executive Secretary to the Department, Department of Health and
Human Services.
[FR Doc. 2022-15081 Filed 7-13-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-01-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on July 14, 2022.
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