[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 207 (Wednesday, October 25, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63869-63870]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-27429]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Office of the Secretary


Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation; 
Technical Review Panel on the Medicare Trustees Reports; Notice of 
November 15 Meeting

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

ACTION: Notice of November 15 meeting.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with section 10(a) of the Federal Advisory 
Committee Act, this notice announces the fifth 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 fifth meeting will be held on November 15, 2000 (9 a.m. to 5 
p.m.).

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Health Care Financing 
Administration (HCFA) Headquarters, Conference Center, Room C-112, 7500 
Security Boulevard, Baltimore, Maryland.

[[Page 63870]]


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) report 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 (who is 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 includes 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 a report 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.; and 
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 Panel's next meeting will be held on November 15, 2000 (9 a.m. 
to 5 p.m.). At this meeting, the Panel will edit and approve its final 
report to the Trustees. The meeting will be held at the Health Care 
Financing Administration (HCFA) Headquarters, Conference Center, Room 
C-112, 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, Maryland. The meeting is 
open to the public, but attendance is limited to the space available.
    Individuals or organizations that wish to make 5-minute oral 
presentations on the issues covered by the Panel should contact the 
Executive Director by 5 p.m. on November 1, 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 5 p.m. on November 7, 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 5 p.m. on November 7, 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 November 1, 2000.

    Dated: October 18, 2000.
Margaret A. Hamburg,
Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation.
[FR Doc. 00-27429 Filed 10-24-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4154-05-M