Request for Information: Certification Frequency and Requirements for the Reporting of Quality Measures Under CMS Programs; Extension of Comment Period

AGENCY:

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), HHS.

ACTION:

Request for information; extension of comment period.

SUMMARY:

This document extends the comment period for the December 31, 2015 request for information entitled “Request for Information: Certification Frequency and Requirements for the Reporting of Quality Measures Under CMS Programs” (80 FR 81824) (referred to in this document as December 31 RFI). The comment period for the December 31 RFI, which would have ended on February 1, 2016, is extended for 15 days.

DATES:

The comment period is extended to February 16, 2016. To be assured consideration, written or electronic comments on the December 31 RFI must be received at one of the addresses provided below no later than February 16, 2016.

ADDRESSES:

In commenting on the December 31 RFI, please refer either to file code CMS-3323-NC and comment as indicated in that document (80 FR 81824) or file code CMS-3323-N and comment as provided in this document. Because of staff and resource limitations, we cannot accept comments by facsimile (FAX) transmission.

You may submit comments in one of four ways (please choose only one of the ways listed):

1. Electronically. You may submit electronic comments on this regulation to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the “Submit a comment” instructions.

2. By regular mail. You may mail written comments to the following address ONLY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Department of Health and Human Services, Attention: CMS-3323-N, P.O. Box 8013, Baltimore, MD 21244-8013.

Please allow sufficient time for mailed comments to be received before the close of the comment period.

3. By express or overnight mail. You may send written comments to the following address ONLY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Department of Health and Human Services, Attention: CMS-3323-N, Mail Stop C4-26-05, 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21244-1850.

4. By hand or courier. Alternatively, you may deliver (by hand or courier) your written comments ONLY to the following addresses:

a. For delivery in Washington, DC—Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Department of Health and Human Services, Room 445-G, Hubert H. Humphrey Building, 200 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20201.

(Because access to the interior of the Hubert H. Humphrey Building is not readily available to persons without Federal government identification, commenters are encouraged to leave their comments in the CMS drop slots located in the main lobby of the building. A stamp-in clock is available for persons wishing to retain a proof of filing by stamping in and retaining an extra copy of the comments being filed.)

b. For delivery in Baltimore, MD—Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Department of Health and Human Services, 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21244-1850.

If you intend to deliver your comments to the Baltimore address, call telephone number (410) 786-9994 in advance to schedule your arrival with one of our staff members.

Comments erroneously mailed to the addresses indicated as appropriate for hand or courier delivery may be delayed and received after the comment period.

Inspection of Public Comments: All comments received before the close of the comment period are available for viewing by the public, including any personally identifiable or confidential business information that is included in a comment. We post all comments received before the close of the comment period on the following Web site as soon as possible after they have been received: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the search instructions on that Web site to view public comments. Comments received timely will also be available for public inspection as they are received, generally beginning approximately 3 weeks after publication of a document, at the headquarters of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, Maryland 21244, Monday through Friday of each week from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. To schedule an appointment to view public comments, phone 1-800-743-3951.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Lisa Marie Gomez, (410) 786-1175.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

On December 31, 2015, we published a request for information in the Federal Register (80 FR 81824) entitled, “Request for Information: Certification Frequency and Requirements for the Reporting of Quality Measures Under CMS Programs” (referred to in this document as “the December 31 RFI”). That request for information seek public comment regarding several items related to the certification of health information technology (IT), including electronic health records (EHR) products used for reporting to certain CMS quality reporting programs such as, but not limited to, the Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting (IQR) Program and the Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS). In addition, it requested feedback on how often to require recertification, the number of clinical quality measures (CQMs) a certified Health IT Module should be required to certify to, and testing of certified Health IT Module(s).

We have received inquiries from stakeholders regarding the 30-day comment period to submit comments regarding the December 31 RFI. The stakeholders stated that they need additional time to respond to the questions posed in the December 31 RFI. Since we requested the public's comments on several options, we believe that it is important to allow ample time for the public to prepare their comments. Therefore, we have decided to extend the comment period for an additional 15 days. This document announces the extension of the public comment period to February 16, 2016.