[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 133 (Tuesday, July 11, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 42698]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-17518]



[[Page 42698]]

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES


Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation; 
Technical Review Panel on the Medicare Trustees Reports; Notice of July 
26-27 Meeting

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, 
HHS.

ACTION: Notice of July 26-27 meeting.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with section 10(a) of the Federal Advisory 
Committee Act, this notice announces the second meeting of the 
Technical Review Panel on the Medicare Trustees Reports (the Panel). 
This meeting is open to the public.
    Pursuant to Public Law 92-463 (the Federal Advisory Committee Act), 
the Panel was established on August 12, 1999, by the Secretary of HHS 
to review the methods and assumptions underlying the annual reports of 
the Board of Trustees of the Hospital Insurance and Supplementary 
Medical Insurance Trust Funds.

DATES: The meeting will be held on Wednesday, July 26, 2000 (9:00 a.m. 
to 5:00 p.m.) and Thursday, July 27, 2000 (9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.).

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Health Care Financing 
Administration (HCFA) Headquarters, 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, 
Maryland.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ariel Winter, Executive Director, 
Technical Review Panel on the Medicare Trustees Reports, Department of 
Health and Human Services, Room 442E, 200 Independence Avenue, SW., 
Washington, DC, 20201, (202) 690-6860, [email protected].
    Additional information is also available on the Panel's web site: 
http://aspe.hhs.gov/health/medpanel.htm.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Board of Trustees of the Medicare Trust 
Funds (the Hospital Insurance (HI) and Supplementary Medical Insurance 
(SMI) Trust Funds) reports annually on the funds' financial condition. 
The reports describe the trust funds' current and projected financial 
condition, within the next 10 years (the short term) and over the 
subsequent 65 years (the long term). The Medicare Board of Trustees has 
directed the Secretary of Health and Human Services (one of the 
Trustees) to establish a panel of technical experts to review the 
assumptions and methods underlying the HI and SMI annual reports.
    The panel's review will include the following four topics:
    1. Medicare assumptions (e.g., utilization rates, medical price 
increases).
    2. Projection methodology (how assumptions are used to make cost 
projections).
    3. Long-range growth assumptions for HI and SMI.
    4. Use of stochastic forecasting techniques.
    The Panel will issue its findings in reports to the Secretary and 
the other Trustees.
    The Panel consists of six members who are experts in the fields of 
economics and actuarial science: Dale Yamamoto, F.S.A., M.A.A.A., 
F.C.C.A., E.A., B.S.--Chair; Len Nichols, Ph.D.; David Cutler, Ph.D.; 
Michael Chernew, Ph.D.; James Robinson, F.S.A., M.A.A.A., Ph.D.; Alice 
Rosenblatt, F.S.A., M.A.A.A., M.A. The members' terms will end August 
12, 2001. Sam Gutterman, F.S.A., F.C.A.S., M.A.A.A., M.A., is a 
consultant to the Panel.
    The second meeting of the Panel is scheduled for July 26, 2000 
(9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.), and July 27, 2000 (9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.). 
The meeting will be held at the Health Care Financing Administration 
(HCFA) Headquarters, 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, Maryland. The 
meeting is open to the public, but attendance is limited to the space 
available. The Panel's first meeting was held June 28-29, 2000.
    At this meeting, the Panel will hear presentations from HCFA's 
Office of the Actuary on measures of actuarial soundness of the 
Medicare Trust Funds, specific health care utilization assumptions, and 
stochastic forecasting techniques used to make Trust Funds projections. 
The Panel will continue its discussions with Office of the Actuary 
staff on issues raised at the first meeting, such as the Trust Funds' 
benefits models. The Panel will also consider how to continue its 
analyses.
    Individuals or organizations that wish to make 5-minute oral 
presentations on the agenda issues mentioned in this notice should 
contact the Executive Director by 12 noon on July 19, 2000. The number 
of oral presentations may be limited to the time available. A written 
copy of the presenters' oral remarks should be submitted to the 
Executive Director no later than 12 noon, July 19, 2000, for 
distribution to the Panel members.
    Any interested member of the public may submit written comments to 
the Executive Director and Panel members for review. Comments should be 
received by the Executive Director by 12 noon, July 19, 2000, for 
distribution to the Panel members.
    Individuals requiring sign language interpretation for the hearing 
impaired and/or other special accommodation, should contact Ariel 
Winter at (202) 690-6860 by July 17, 2000.

    Dated: July 5, 2000.
Margaret A. Hamburg,
Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation.
[FR Doc. 00-17518 Filed 7-10-00; 8:45 am]
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