[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 33 (Friday, February 19, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8375-8376]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-4163]


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GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE


Appointment of Members of the Medicare Payment Advisory 
Commission

AGENCY: General Accounting Office.

ACTION: Notice of schedule for appointing members and of expanded 
membership.

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SUMMARY: The Comptroller General appoints the members of the Medicare 
Payment Advisory Commission to terms that begin on May 1 of the year of 
appointment and end on April 30 of the year in which each member's term 
expires. This notice announces that (1) appointments of members will be 
made public on or about March 15 of each year and (2) this year, seven 
appointments will be made. In order to carry out an amendment that 
expanded the Commission's membership from 15 to 17 and staggered the 
initial terms of the two added members, one appointment will be for a 
1-year term and another for a 2-year term. The other five appointments, 
and subsequent appointments to fill vacancies created by the expiration 
of terms of current members, will be for 3-year terms.

ADDRESSES: The General Accounting Office is at 441 G St. NW., 
Washington, DC 20548. The Office of the Chairman of the Medicare 
Payment Advisory Commission is at Suite 800, 1730 K St., NW., 
Washington DC 20006.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: General Accounting Office: Paul T. 
Wagner, 202-512-7257. Medicare Payment Advisory Commission: Murray N. 
Ross, 202-653-7220.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 1805 of the Social Security Act (as 
added by section 4022 of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, Pub. L. 105-
33, 111 Stat. 251, 350) established the Medicare Payment Advisory 
Commission, to be composed of 15 members appointed by the Comptroller 
General. Appointments were to be for 3 years, except that 5 of the 
first 15 members were to be appointed for 1 year, and 5 for 2 years, so 
that 5 members' terms would expire each year.
    Section 5202 of the Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency Supplemental 
Appropriations Act, 1999, Pub. L. 105-277, 112 Stat. 2681, recently 
expanded the membership of the Commission to 17. In order to stagger 
the terms of the two new members like those of the original members, 
sec. 5202 provides that one will be appointed for 1 year and the other 
for 2 years.
    The terms of the two new members are to begin on May 1, 1999. This 
conforms to the appointment cycle for the other members, announced by 
us earlier (63 FR 40288, July 28, 1998): the terms of the original 15 
members and their successors will expire on April 30 of the year in 
which each member's term ends. This year, the terms of five of the 
original members will expire on April 30.
    To fill the five impending vacancies and to expand the Commission's 
membership from 15 to 17, we will appoint seven members this year to 
terms beginning on May 1. We will make a public announcement of the 
appointments on or about March 15. In accordance with the requirements 
for staggering the terms of the two new members, one will be appointed 
to a term expiring on April 30, 2000, and the other to a term expiring 
on April 30, 2001. Appointments to the seats of the five members whose 
terms are expiring this year will be for 3 years, expiring on April 30, 
2002.
    In the future, we will follow the same schedule: appointments to 
terms beginning on May 1 will be announced on or about March 15 of each 
year. Because the requirements for staggering initial terms will have 
been completed,

[[Page 8376]]

after this year all appointments to replace members whose terms have 
expired will be for 3 years.
David M. Walker,
Comptroller General of the United States.
[FR Doc. 99-4163 Filed 2-18-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 1610-02-U