Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Physicians' Referrals to Health Care Entities With Which They Have Financial Relationships: Delay of Effective Date of Final Rule and Technical Amendment

In accordance with the memorandum of January 20, 2001, from the Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff, entitled "Regulatory Review Plan," published in the Federal Register on January 24, 2001, this action temporarily delays for 60 days the effective date of revised Sec. 424.22 contained in the rule entitled "Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Physicians' Referrals to Health Care Entities With Which They Have Financial Relationships," published in the Federal Register on January 4, 2001 (66 FR 856). That rule prohibits physicians from referring patients for the furnishing of certain designated health services to health care entities with which they (or their immediate family members) have financial relationships under the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Home health services are a designated health service. Section 424.22 revises the physician certification and plan of treatment requirements for home health services to comply with provisions in section 1877 of the Social Security Act (the Act). Section 424.22, which would have become effective February 5, 2001, will now become effective April 6, 2001. The 60-day delay in effective date is necessary to give Department officials the opportunity for further review and consideration of new regulations, consistent with the Assistant to the President's memorandum of January 20, 2001.