Medicare program; utilization and quality control Peer Review Organization (PRO) area designations and definitions of eligible organizations--HCFA. Final rule.

This final rule implements a portion of the Peer Review Improvement Act of 1982 (Title I, Subtitle C of the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982, Pub. L. 97-248) requiring the Secretary to establish geographic areas throughout the United States for contracts under the PRO program and defining organizations eligible to become PROs. A final notice published elsewhere in this edition of Federal Register establishes these area designations and will enable the Secretary to begin the process of contracting with PROs by setting the boundaries for each new organization. This final rule implements that portion of the law which defines organizations eligible to become PROs.