[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 33 (Friday, February 18, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8381-8382]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-3175]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration


New Methodology and Increase in Low Income Levels for Various 
Health Professions and Nursing Training and Assistance Programs

AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: HRSA uses ``low-income'' levels to determine whether an 
individual is from an economically disadvantaged background in making 
eligibility and funding determinations for participants in various 
health professions and nursing grant and cooperative agreement programs 
authorized by Titles III, VII and VIII of the Public Health Service 
(PHS) Act. In the past, an individual's economically disadvantaged 
background status, as a basis for participation in certain programs, 
was based on the income level of the individual's parents. However, 
many potential program participants are well above the age of majority. 
Accordingly, questions have been raised by potential program 
participants and program officials regarding the feasibility and 
fairness in determining economically disadvantaged status based solely 
on the parent's income. This notice updates the low-income levels 
published by HRSA on August 5, 2003 (68 FR 46199-46200), and changes 
the methodology used to determine low income for use in these programs 
beginning in Fiscal Year (FY) 2005.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: HRSA publishes low-income levels of families 
(68 FR 46199-46200, 8/5/03) for the use of various health professions 
training and assistance programs funded under Titles III, VII, and VIII 
of the PHS Act in making eligibility and funding determinations for 
participants in the programs. HRSA establishes these low-income levels 
based on the poverty guidelines that HHS publishes annually in the 
Federal Register (68 FR 7336, 2/13/2004). HHS determines the poverty 
guidelines based on the poverty

[[Page 8382]]

thresholds established by the U.S. Census Bureau, adjusted annually for 
changes in the Consumer Price Index.
    For FY 2005, HRSA has determined that:
     ``Low-income level'' as applied to a family is one with an 
annual income that is below 200 percent of HHS's poverty guidelines, as 
indicated in the table below, and
     A family is a group of two or more individuals related by 
birth, marriage, or adoption who live together or an individual who is 
not living with any relatives.

                        FY 2005 Low Income Levels
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                                                                Income
                   Persons in family \1\                      level \2\
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1..........................................................      $18,620
2..........................................................       24,980
3..........................................................       31,340
4..........................................................       37,700
5..........................................................       44,060
6..........................................................       50,420
7..........................................................       56,780
8..........................................................      63,140
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\1\ Includes only dependents reported on Federal Income tax forms for
  calendar year 2003.
\2\ Adjusted gross income for calendar year 2003.

    New Methodology: Beginning in FY 2005, various programs in HRSA 
will use a new methodology in the application of low-income levels. 
Depending on the legislative intent of the program, the programmatic 
purpose of the low income level, as well as the age and circumstances 
of the average participant, each program will either apply the low-
income levels to the family of the individual participant or to the 
family of the parents of the individual participant. Each program will 
announce the rationale and choice of methodology for determining low 
income levels in their program guidance.

    Dated: February 11, 2005.
Elizabeth M. Duke,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 05-3175 Filed 2-17-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165-15-P