[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 175 (Monday, September 9, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47530-47533]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-22905]


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OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT


Federal Employees Health Benefits Program; Medically Underserved 
Areas for 1997

AGENCY: Office of Personnel Management.

ACTION: Notice of medically underserved areas for 1997.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has completed its 
annual calculation of the States that qualify as Medically Underserved 
Areas under the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program for 
the calendar year 1997. This is necessary to comply with a provision of 
FEHB law that mandates special consideration for enrollees of certain 
FEHB plans who receive covered health services in states with critical 
shortages of primary care physicians. Accordingly, for calendar year 
1997, OPM's calculations show that the following States are Medically 
Underserved Areas under the FEHB Program: Alabama, Louisiana, 
Mississippi, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Carolina, South Dakota, 
West Virginia, and Wyoming. Arkansas and

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Idaho have been removed from the list, with no new additions for 1997.

EFFECTIVE DATE: January 1, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kenneth A. Lease, 202-606-0004.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: FEHB law [5 U.S.C. 8902(m)(2)] mandates 
special consideration for enrollees of certain FEHB plans who receive 
covered health services in States with critical shortages of primary 
care physicians. Such States are designated as Medically Underserved 
Areas for purposes of the FEHB Program, and the law requires payment to 
all qualified providers in the States.
    FEHB regulations (5 CFR 890.701) require OPM to make an annual 
calculation of the States that qualify as Medically Underserved Areas 
for the next calendar year by comparing the latest Department of Health 
and Human Services State-by-State population counts on primary medical 
care manpower shortage areas with U.S. Census figures on State resident 
population.

U.S. Office of Personnel Management.
James B. King,
Director.

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[FR Doc. 96-22905 Filed 9-6-96; 8:45 am]
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