CMS Releases Rules of Significance to Renal Community, Solicits Comments
On February 4, 2005, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released three proposed rules, which will have a significant impact on the renal community, in the Federal Register. CMS is soliciting comments to these rules, and ANNA has assembled a task force to evaluate them and prepare a formal response from the Association. ANNA members and all renal health care providers are encouraged to review the rules themselves and submit their individual concerns and insights to CMS.
- Medicare Program; Conditions for Coverage for End Stage Renal Disease Facilities - This proposed rule would revise the requirements that end stage renal disease (ESRD) facilities must meet to be certified under the Medicare program. All comments must be submitted by May 5, 2005. Comments may be submitted electronically (as an attachment) to: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/regulations/ecomments/. Or you may mail written comments (one original and two copies) to: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Department of Health and Human Services, Attention: CMS-3818-P, PO Box 8012, Baltimore, MD 21244-8012.
- Medicare Program; Hospital Conditions of Participation: Requirements for Approval and Re-Approval of Transplant Centers To Perform Organ Transplants - This proposed rule would set the requirements that heart, heart-lung, intestine, kidney, lung, and pancreas transplant centers must meet to participate as Medicare-approved transplant centers. All comments must be submitted by April 5, 2005. Comments may be submitted electronically (as an attachment) to: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/regulations/ecomments/. Or you may mail written comments (one original and two copies) to: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Department of Health and Human Services, Attention: CMS-3835-P, PO Box 8013, Baltimore, MD 21244-8013.
- Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Conditions for Coverage for Organ Procurement Organizations [PDF File] - This proposed rule establishes new conditions of coverage for organ procurement organizations (OPOs), including new outcome and process performance measures based on donor potential and related factors in each service area of qualified OPOs. All comments must be submitted by April 5, 2005. Comments may be submitted electronically (as an attachment) to: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/regulations/ecomments/. Or you may mail written comments (one original and two copies) to: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Department of Health and Human Services, Attention: CMS-3064-P, PO Box 8015, Baltimore, MD 21244-8015.
To access the full text of these rules (as published in the Federal Register), click on the bulleted titles above. Or go to http://www.cms.hhs.gov/cop/ to access the Conditions of Participation / Conditions for Coverage page on the CMS Web site.