Medicare program; update of ambulatory surgical center payment rates and additions to and deletions from the current list of covered surgical procedures--HCFA. Notice with comment period.

This notice implements section 1833(i)(2)(A) of the Social Security Act, which requires that the payment rates for ambulatory surgical center (ASC) services be reviewed and updated annually, and responds to the public comment we received concerning the ambulatory surgical center payment rate update notice with comment period published on July 5, 1990 (55 FR 27690). It also implements section 1833(i)(1) of the Social Security Act, which requires, in part, that the list of covered ambulatory surgical center procedures be reviewed and updated at least every 2 years. This notice announces additions to and deletions from the list of surgical procedures for which facility services are covered when the procedures are performed in an ASC. This notice also announces the assignment of payment groups for each procedure and responds to public comments received in response to the notice proposing additions to and deletions from the list of covered surgical procedures that was published on December 7, 1990.