Revisions to Procedures for the Departmental Appeals Board and Other Departmental Hearings

Résumé

The Department of Health and Human Services (Department) proposes to amend Departmental regulations governing administrative review by the Departmental Appeals Board (DAB) and certain other administrative review regulations to ensure that the final administrative decision of the Department reflects the considered opinion of the Secretary of Health and Human Services (Secretary). Current regulations at 45 CFR Part 16 governing the review of grant disputes do not specifically require the DAB to follow published guidance issued by the Secretary or a Departmental component. The DAB decision is currently the final administrative decision of the Department on such disputes and currently there is no Secretarial review of this final decision. Similarly, the DAB currently provides the final agency review of the imposition of civil monetary penalties (CMPs) for which administrative appeal is available under 45 CFR Part 160, Subpart E, enforcement sanctions under 42 CFR Part 422 and 423, determinations subject to reconsideration and appeal under 42 CFR Part 498 and the imposition by the Inspector General of the Department (I.G.) or the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) of exclu