[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 178 (Wednesday, September 13, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55308-55309]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-23539]


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OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT


Federal Employees Health Benefits Program: Medically Underserved 
Areas for 2001

AGENCY: Office of Personnel Management.

ACTION: Notice of medically underserved areas for 2001.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has completed its 
annual determination of the States that qualify as Medically 
Underserved Areas under the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) 
Program for the calendar year 2001. This is necessary to comply with a 
provision of the 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 2001, OPM's calculations show that the following 
States are Medically Underserved Areas under the FEHB Program: Alabama, 
Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, South 
Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming. The 2001 list is identical 
to the 2000 list, except we have removed North Dakota from the list for 
calendar year 2001.

EFFECTIVE DATE: January 1, 2001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ingrid Burford, 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. The FEHB law also requires that a State be designated 
as a Medically Underserved Area if 25 percent or more of the population 
lives in an area designated by the Department of Health and Human 
Services (HHS) as a primary medical care manpower shortage area. Such 
States are designated as Medically Underserved Areas for purposes of 
the FEHB Program, and the law requires plan payments to all qualified 
providers in these States.
    FEHB regulations (5 CFR 890.701) require OPM to make an annual 
determination of the States that qualify as Medically Underserved Areas 
for the

[[Page 55309]]

next calendar year by comparing the latest Department of Health and 
Human Services State-by-State population counts on primary medical care 
manpower shortage areas with U.S. Census figures on State resident 
populations.

U.S. Office of Personnel Management.
Janice R. Lachance,
Director.
[FR Doc. 00-23539 Filed 9-12-00; 8:45 am]
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