Title 45 published on 2012-10-01
The following are only the Rules published in the Federal Register after the published date of Title 45.
For a complete list of all Rules, Proposed Rules, and Notices view the Rulemaking tab.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS or “the Department”) is issuing this final rule to: Modify the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy, Security, and Enforcement Rules to implement statutory amendments under the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (“the HITECH Act” or “the Act”) to strengthen the privacy and security protection for individuals' health information; modify the rule for Breach Notification for Unsecured Protected Health Information (Breach Notification Rule) under the HITECH Act to address public comment received on the interim final rule; modify the HIPAA Privacy Rule to strengthen the privacy protections for genetic information by implementing section 105 of Title I of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (GINA); and make certain other modifications to the HIPAA Privacy, Security, Breach Notification, and Enforcement Rules (the HIPAA Rules) to improve their workability and effectiveness and to increase flexibility for and decrease burden on the regulated entities.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are withdrawing the direct final rule that August 28, 2012. HHS/FDA published the direct final rule to exempt scientific research misconduct proceedings records from certain requirements of the Privacy Act of 1974 in order to protect records compiled in the course of misconduct inquiries and investigations, and to safeguard the identity of confidential sources. The comment period closed on November 13, 2012. HHS/FDA is withdrawing the direct final rule because the Agency received significant adverse comment.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) published in the Federal Register of August 28, 2012, a direct final rule to exempt a new system of records from certain provisions of the Privacy Act of 1974 in order to protect the integrity of NIH research misconduct proceedings and to protect the identity of confidential sources in such proceedings. The comment period for this direct final rule closed November 13, 2012. HHS is withdrawing the direct final rule because the agency has received significant adverse comment.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is issuing this interim final rule with comment period to replace the Data Element Catalog (DEC) standard and the Quality Reporting Document Architecture (QRDA) Category III standard adopted in the final rule published on September 4, 2012 in the Federal Register with updated versions of those standards. This interim final rule with comment period also revises the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs by adding an alternative measure for the Stage 2 meaningful use (MU) objective for hospitals to provide structured electronic laboratory results to ambulatory providers, correcting the regulation text for the measures associated with the objective for hospitals to provide patients the ability to view online, download, and transmit information about a hospital admission, and making the case number threshold exemption for clinical quality measure (CQM) reporting applicable for eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals (CAHs) beginning with FY 2013. This rule also provides notice of CMS's intention to issue technical corrections to the electronic specifications for CQMs released on October 25, 2012.
To implement the Serve America Act, the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) proposed amendments to its National Service Criminal History Check regulation on July 6, 2011. This final rule adopts the proposed amendments, clarifies several requirements, and makes minor technical corrections. The amendments require CNCS grantees to conduct and document a National Service Criminal History Check that includes a fingerprint-based FBI criminal history check on individuals in covered positions who begin work, or who start service, on or after April 21, 2011, and who have recurring access to children 17 years of age or younger, to persons age 60 and older, or to individuals with disabilities. Individuals in covered positions include Senior Companions (SCP), Foster Grandparents (FGP), AmeriCorps State and National participants, and other participants, volunteers, or staff funded under a CNCS grant.
This document corrects technical errors in the final rule titled “Administrative Simplification: Adoption of a Standard for a Unique Health Plan Identifier; Addition to the National Provider Identifier Requirements; and a Change to the Compliance Date for the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Edition (ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS) Medical Data Code Sets” that appeared in the September 5, 2012 Federal Register .
The following are ALL rules, proposed rules, and notices (chronologically) published in the Federal Register relating to Title 45 after this date.
This proposed rule would implement provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (collectively referred to as the Affordable Care Act), and the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 (CHIPRA). This proposed rule reflects new statutory eligibility provisions; proposes changes to provide states more flexibility to coordinate Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) eligibility notices, appeals, and other related administrative procedures with similar procedures used by other health coverage programs authorized under the Affordable Care Act; modernizes and streamlines existing rules, eliminates obsolete rules, and updates provisions to reflect Medicaid eligibility pathways; revises the rules relating to the substitution of coverage to improve the coordination of CHIP coverage with other coverage; implements other CHIPRA eligibility-related provisions, including eligibility for newborns whose mothers were eligible for and receiving Medicaid or CHIP coverage at the time of birth; amends certain provisions included in the “State Flexibility for Medicaid Benefit Packages” final rule published on April 30, 2010; and implements specific provisions including eligibility appeals, notices, and verification of eligibility for qualifying coverage in an eligible employer-sponsored plan for Affordable Insurance Exchanges. This rule also proposes to update and simplify the complex Medicaid premiums and cost sharing requirements, to promote the most effective use of services, and to assist states in identifying cost sharing flexibilities.
This proposed rule provides further detail and parameters related to: the risk adjustment, reinsurance, and risk corridors programs; cost-sharing reductions; user fees for a Federally-facilitated Exchange; advance payments of the premium tax credit; a Federally-facilitated Small Business Health Option Program; and the medical loss ratio program. The cost-sharing reductions and advanced payments of the premium tax credit, combined with new insurance market reforms, will significantly increase the number of individuals with health insurance coverage, particularly in the individual market. The premium stabilization programs—risk adjustment, reinsurance, and risk corridors—will protect against adverse selection in the newly enrolled population. These programs, in combination with the medical loss ratio program and market reforms extending guaranteed availability (also known as guaranteed issue) protections and prohibiting the use of factors such as health status, medical history, gender, and industry of employment to set premium rates, will help to ensure that every American has access to high-quality, affordable health insurance.
The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is issuing a proposed rule to implement the Multi-State Plan Program (MSPP). OPM is establishing the MSPP pursuant to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, referred to collectively as the Affordable Care Act. Through contracts with OPM, health insurance issuers will offer at least two multi-State plans (MSPs) on each of the Affordable Insurance Exchanges (Exchanges). Under the law, an MSPP issuer may phase in the States in which it offers coverage over four years, but it must offer MSPs on Exchanges in all States and the District of Columbia by the fourth year in which the MSPP issuer participates in the MSPP. OPM aims to administer the MSPP in a manner that is consistent with State insurance laws and that is informed by input from a broad array of stakeholders.
This proposed rule would implement the Affordable Care Act's policies related to fair health insurance premiums, guaranteed availability, guaranteed renewability, risk pools, and catastrophic plans. The proposed rule would clarify the approach used to enforce the applicable requirements of the Affordable Care Act with respect to health insurance issuers and group health plans that are non-federal governmental plans. This proposed rule would also amend the standards for health insurance issuers and states regarding reporting, utilization, and collection of data under section 2794 of the Public Health Service Act (PHS Act). It also revises the timeline for states to propose state-specific thresholds for review and approval by CMS.
This document proposes amendments to regulations, consistent with the Affordable Care Act, regarding nondiscriminatory wellness programs in group health coverage. Specifically, these proposed regulations would increase the maximum permissible reward under a health-contingent wellness program offered in connection with a group health plan (and any related health insurance coverage) from 20 percent to 30 percent of the cost of coverage. The proposed regulations would further increase the maximum permissible reward to 50 percent for wellness programs designed to prevent or reduce tobacco use. These regulations also include other proposed clarifications regarding the reasonable design of health-contingent wellness programs and the reasonable alternatives they must offer in order to avoid prohibited discrimination.
This proposed rule details standards for health insurance issuers consistent with title I of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, referred to collectively as the Affordable Care Act. Specifically, this proposed rule outlines Exchange and issuer standards related to coverage of essential health benefits and actuarial value. This proposed rule also proposes a timeline for qualified health plans to be accredited in Federally-facilitated Exchanges and an amendment which provides an application process for the recognition of additional accrediting entities for purposes of certification of qualified health plans.
All lawyers
