CMS to Host Listening Session on Hospital Acquired Conditions

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will host a listening session to solicit informal comments on hospital acquired conditions (HAC) and hospital outpatient healthcare-associated conditions in preparation for the FY 2010 Medicare inpatient prospective payment system (PPS) and CY 2010 Medicare outpatient PPS rulemaking process.

According to a display copy of the Notice (scheduled to appear in the Federal Register on October 30, 2008), the listening session will take place from 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (EST) on December 18, 2008.  To participate in the listening session (in person or by teleconference), registration will be required.  CMS reports that it will also be accepting written comments or statements related to the listening session. 

For additional information (including information regarding registration, deadlines, meeting location and other instructions), see the Notice.  CMS also intends to post additional information on the HAC and Hospital Outpatient PPS pages of the CMS website. 

UPDATE:  The Notice as it appears in the October 30, 2008 Federal Register can be found here.