[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 106 (Thursday, June 3, 1999)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 29831]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-13951]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

42 CFR Parts 5 and 51c

RIN 0906-AA44


Designation of Medically Underserved Populations and Health 
Professional Shortage Areas

AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration, DHHS.

ACTION: Proposed rules; status.

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SUMMARY: The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is 
announcing its intention to issue a second Notice of Proposed 
Rulemaking (NPRM) on Designation of Medically Underserved Populations 
(MUPs) and Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) following a 
period of evaluation of comments received, analysis of alternative 
approaches, and impact testing. This will involve a new 60-day public 
comment period for the revised proposal.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Richard Lee, 301-594-4280.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Proposed rules for designation of MUPs and 
HPSAs were published on September 1, 1998 (63 FR 46538). The original 
comment period was extended for an additional 60 days (until January 4, 
1999) (63 FR 58679, November 2, 1998), and over 800 comments on the 
proposed rules were received. Given the large volume of thoughtful 
comments and the high level of concern that has been voiced about the 
potential impact of the proposal as published, HRSA believes it is 
imperative to conduct further analyses before proceeding. This will 
include a thorough, updated analysis of the impact of the proposal as 
published, applied to current data for all counties and currently 
designated MUPs and HPSAs, followed by testing of a number of possible 
revisions to the proposal, based on HRSA's analysis of the comments 
received. HRSA also plans to have one or more independent outside 
organizations verify its impact testing. A new NPRM will then be 
published for public comment, with a goal of publishing the revised 
proposal by the end of 1999. The decision to publish another NPRM with 
its associated public comment period means that new final regulations 
likely will not be implemented prior to the fall of 2000.

(Authority: 42 U.S.C. 254c and 42 U.S.C. 254e).

    Dated: March 12, 1999.
Claude Earl Fox,
Administrator, Health Resources and Services Administration.

    Approved: May 25, 1999.
Donna E. Shalala,
Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services.
[FR Doc. 99-13951 Filed 6-2-99; 8:45 am]
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