[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 23 (Thursday, February 4, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5663-5664]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-2664]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Medical Child Support Working Group

AGENCY: Administration for Children and Families, DHHS.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 10(d) of the Federal Advisory Committee 
Act, as amended (5 U.S.C. Appendix 2), notice is given of the first 
meeting of the Medical Child Support Working Group (MCSWG). The agenda 
for this first meeting includes swearing-in and orientation of members, 
program briefings, discussions, and business related to the operation 
of the MCSWG.

DATES AND TIME: March 3, 1999, 3:00 PM--6:00 PM, the Opening and 
Swearing-in Ceremony; March 4, 9:00 AM--3:00 PM, and March 5, 1999, 
9:00 AM--Noon, for introductions and orientation for this new work 
group, program briefings, discussions, and business related to the 
operation of the MCSWG.

PLACE: Snow Room, room 5051, fifth floor, Wilbur Cohen Bldg., 300 
Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC for 3/3/99; room 800, eighth 
floor, Hubert H. Humphrey Bldg., 200 Independence Ave, SW, Washington, 
DC, for 3/4/99 and 3/5/99.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this first of several meetings of the MCSWG 
will be orientation of members regarding their roles and duties, 
program briefings, and initial discussion of key issues. In addition, 
the members will discuss business related to the operation of the 
MCSWG.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The MCSWG was authorized under section 401 
of the Child Support Performance and Incentive Act of 1998 (PL 105-
200).
    The purpose of the MCSWG is to identify the impediments to the 
effective enforcement of medical support by State Child Support 
Enforcement agencies. The membership of the MCSWG was jointly appointed 
by the Secretaries of the Department of Labor (DOL) and the Department 
of Health and Human Services (DHHS). The membership includes 
representatives of: (1) DOL; (2) DHHS; (3) State Child Support 
Enforcement Directors; (4) State Medicaid Directors; (5) employers, 
including owners of small businesses, and their trade and industry 
representatives and certified human resource and payroll professionals; 
(6) plan administrators and plan sponsors of group health plans (as 
defined in section 607(1) of the Employee Retirement Income Security 
Act of 1974 (29 U.S.C. 1167(1)); (7) children potentially eligible for 
medical support, such as child advocacy organizations; (8) State 
medical child support organizations; and (9) organizations representing 
State child support programs.
    The MCSWG is to submit to the Secretaries of DOL and DHHS a report 
containing recommendations for appropriate measures to address the 
impediments identified by the MCSWG, including: (1) recommendations 
based upon assessments of the form and content of the National Medical 
Support Notice, as issued under interim regulations; (2) appropriate 
measures that establish the priority of withholding of child support 
obligations, medical support obligations, arrearages in such 
obligations, and in the case of a medical support obligation, the 
employee's portion of any health care coverage premium, by such State 
agencies in light of the restrictions on garnishment provided under 
title III of the Consumer Credit Protection Act (15 U.S.C. 1671-1677; 
(3) appropriate procedures for coordinating the provision, enforcement, 
and transition of health care coverage under the State programs for 
child support, Medicaid and the Child Health Insurance Program (CHIP); 
(4) appropriate measures to improve the availability of alternate types 
of medical support that are aside from health care coverage offered 
through the noncustodial parent's employer, including measures that 
establish a noncustodial parent's responsibility to share the cost of 
premiums, co-payments, deductibles, or payments for service not covered 
under a child's existing health coverage; (5) recommendations as to 
whether reasonable cost should remain a consideration under section 
452(f) of the Social Security Act; and (6) appropriate measures for 
eliminating any other impediments to the effective enforcement of 
medical support orders that the MCSWG deems necessary.

Public Participation

    The meeting is open to the public with attendance limited by the 
availability of space on a first come, first served basis. Over the 
course of the MCSWG's tenure, future meetings will be dedicated to 
public input. Members of the public who wish to present oral statements 
should contact Samara Weinstein by telephone, fax machine, or mail as 
shown below and as soon as possible, at least four days before the 
meeting. The Chair of the MCSWG will reserve time for presentations by 
persons requesting to speak. Oral statements will be limited to five 
minutes. The order of persons wanting to make a statement will be 
assigned in the order in which the requests are received. Individuals 
unable to make oral presentations can mail or fax their written 
comments to the MCSWG staff office at least five business days before 
the meeting for distribution to the MCSWG membership and inclusion in 
the public record. Persons needing special assistance, such as sign 
language interpretation or other special accommodations, should contact

[[Page 5664]]

MCSWG staff at the address below as soon as possible.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Samara Weinstein, Executive 
Director, Medical Child Support Working Group, Office of Child Support 
Enforcement, Fourth Floor East, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, SW, Washington, 
DC 20447; telephone 202-401-6953; fax number 202-401-5559; email 
[email protected]

    Dated: January 28, 1999.
David Gray Ross,
Commissioner, Office of Child Support Enforcement.
[FR Doc. 99-2664 Filed 2-3-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-01-M