A wonderful Wednesday to you!
You do not know what you do not know.
December 4, 2024 is a good day for the federal government. Today, the federal government currently has 67 documents from 32 agencies (423 Pages) with 43 Notices, 11 Proposed Rules, 12 Rules, and 2 Significant Documents. With this current issue, Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 233 / Wednesday, December 4, 2024 / Notices is up to page 96512. The federal government is busy.
The two Significant Documents:
Medicare Program; Alternative Payment Model Updates and the Increasing Organ Transplant Access (IOTA) Model by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on 12/04/2024.
This final rule is effective on January 3, 2025. The summary of this document, “This final rule describes a new mandatory alternative payment model, the Increasing Organ Transplant Access Model (IOTA Model), that will test whether performance-based upside risk payments or downside risk payments paid to or owed by participating kidney transplant hospitals increase access to kidney transplants for patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) while preserving or enhancing the quality of care and reducing Medicare expenditures. This final rule also adopts standard provisions that will apply to the Radiation Oncology Model, the End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Treatment Choices Model, and mandatory Innovation Center models, including the IOTA Model, whose first performance period begins on or after January 1, 2025. The finalized standard provisions relate to beneficiary protections; cooperation in model evaluation and monitoring; audits and records retention; rights in data and intellectual property; monitoring and compliance; remedial action; model termination by CMS; limitations on review; miscellaneous provisions on bankruptcy and other notifications; and the reconsideration review process.”
Employment of Workers With Disabilities Under Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act by the Wage and Hour Division on 12/04/2024.
This Notice of proposed rulemaking has an open comment period ending January 17, 2025. The summary from the document, “The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA or Act) authorizes the Secretary of Labor to issue certificates allowing employers to pay productivity-based subminimum wages to workers with disabilities, but only where such certificates are necessary to prevent the curtailment of opportunities for employment. Employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities have vastly expanded in recent decades, in part due to significant legal and policy developments. Based on that evidence, the Department has tentatively concluded that subminimum wages are no longer necessary to prevent the curtailment of employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities and thus proposes to phase out the issuance of section 14(c) certificates.”
To make a comment on this rule, use www.regulations.gov using a search, “RIN 1235-AA14” or the title of the document.
US Debt Clock Update
According to the US Debt Clock at roughly 9:17 AM, the US debt is roughly $36,191,659,000,000. The debt per tax payer is $271,790. The good news is that the federal government revenue is roughly $5,066,640,000,000. Not too shabby if you ask me.
Special Note: Interest of Debt (Net) is $1,008,871,000,000.
Current estimated number of US Millionaires: 23,880,461 up from last week by 12,605. It must have been good in the crypto and stock market to make this many millionaires in one week.
The Sun
From Spaceweather.com, “SUNSET SKY SHOW: When the sun goes down tonight, step outside and look southwest. Venus and the crescent Moon are having a close encounter in the sunset sky. It's a beautiful way to end the day! [sky map]”
Amazing website with great information about the Earth-Sun environment.