[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                  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\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]
BILLING CODE 6325-01-M