[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 169 (Tuesday, September 2, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46384-46385]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-23222]
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OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT
Federal Employees Health Benefits Program; Medically Underserved
Areas for 1998
AGENCY: Office of Personal Management.
ACTION: Notice of Medically Underserved Areas for 1998.
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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 1998. 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
1998, OPM's calculations show that the following States are Medically
Underserved Areas under the FEHB Program: Alabama, Louisiana,
Mississippi, New Mexico, South Carolina, South Dakota, West Virginia,
and Wyoming. North Dakota has been removed from the list, with no new
additions for 1998.
EFFECTIVE DATE: Janaury 1, 1998.
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 Service State-by-State population counts on primary medical
care manpower shortage areas with U.S. Census figures on State resident
population.
Office of Personnel Management.
James B. King,
Director.
[[Page 46385]]
FEHB Medically Underserved Areas for Calendar Year 1998
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Commerce
State HHS total resident FEHB Note
population \1\ population \2\ percentage
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------\3\----------------------------
Alabama................................... 1,281,728 4,273,000 29.996 MUA
Alaska.................................... 127,683 607,000 21.035 .....................
Arizona................................... 351,410 4,428,000 7.936 .....................
Arkansas.................................. 576,317 2,510,000 22.961 .....................
California................................ 3,988,692 31,878,000 12.512 .....................
Colorado.................................. 447,034 3,823,000 11.693 .....................
Connecticut............................... 346,839 3,274,000 10.594 .....................
Delaware.................................. 67,260 725,000 9.277 .....................
Florida................................... 1,673,828 14,400,000 11.624 .....................
Georgia................................... 1,701,421 7,353,000 23.139 .....................
Hawaii.................................... 62,095 1,184,000 5.245 .....................
Idaho..................................... 264,791 1,189,000 22.270 .....................
Illinois.................................. 1,682,193 11,847,000 14.199 .....................
Indiana................................... 921,251 5,841,000 15.772 .....................
Iowa...................................... 369,413 2,852,000 12.953 .....................
Kansas.................................... 377,620 2,572,000 14.682 .....................
Kentucky.................................. 926,320 3,884,000 23.850 .....................
Louisiana................................. 1,688,346 4,351,000 38.804 MUA
Maine..................................... 176,664 1,243,000 14.213 .....................
Maryland.................................. 275,968 5,072,000 5.441 .....................
Massachusetts............................. 775,910 6,092,000 12.737 .....................
Michigan.................................. 1,947,059 9,594,000 20.295 .....................
Minnesota................................. 319,444 4,658,000 6.858 .....................
Mississippi............................... 1,251,220 2,716,000 46.068 MUA
Missouri.................................. 1,055,770 5,359,000 19.701 .....................
Montana................................... 156,131 879,000 17.762 .....................
Nebraska.................................. 258,759 1,652,000 15.663 .....................
Nevada.................................... 296,287 1,603,000 18.483 .....................
New Hampshire............................. 117,178 1,162,000 10.084 .....................
New Jersey................................ 875,494 7,988,000 10.960 .....................
New Mexico................................ 546,992 1,713,000 31.932 MUA
New York.................................. 3,646,561 18,185,000 20.053 .....................
North Carolina............................ 1,729,038 7,323,000 23.611 .....................
North Dakota.............................. 155,435 644,000 24.136 .....................
Ohio...................................... 1,436,668 11,173,000 12.858 .....................
Oklahoma.................................. 679,457 3,301,000 20.583 .....................
Oregon.................................... 423,306 3,204,000 13.212 .....................
Pennsylvania.............................. 1,121,983 12,056,000 9.306 .....................
Rhode Island.............................. 171,220 990,000 17.295 .....................
South Carolina............................ 1,019,483 3,699,000 27.561 MUA
South Dakota.............................. 205,160 732,000 28.027 MUA
Tennessee................................. 1,045,326 5,320,000 19.649 .....................
Texas..................................... 3,656,649 19,128,000 19.117 .....................
Utah...................................... 371,171 2,000,000 18.559 .....................
Vermont................................... 71,177 589,000 12.084 .....................
Virginia.................................. 766,745 6,675,000 11.487 .....................
Washington................................ 944,224 5,533,000 17.065 .....................
West Virginia............................. 530,009 1,226,000 29.026 MUA
Wisconsin................................. 996,704 5,160,000 19.316 .....................
Wyoming................................... 129,546 481,000 26.933 MUA
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\1\ From the ``Total Population'' column of the Department of Health and Human Services report entitled ``Table
3. Health Professional Shortage Areas, Designated HPSA Summary Listing, Primary Medical Care HPSAs, As of
March 31, 1997.''
HHS contact for copy of report: Lisa Steinbruckner, 301-594-0816
\2\ From the most recent year column of the Department of Commerce Report entitled ``Table 3. Rankings of State
Population Estimates and Components of Change: July 1, 1995 to July 1, 1996.''
Commerce contact for report: Karen Jones, 301-457-2435
\3\ Computation Formula for this column = the HHS number divided by the Commerce number.
Note: FEHB percentage equal to greater than 25%=MUA=medically underserved area.
[FR Doc. 97-23222 Filed 8-29-97; 8:45 am]
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