[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 58 (Monday, March 28, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15625-15626]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-6176]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality


Meeting of the Citizens' Health Care Working Group

AGENCY: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with section 10(a) of the Federal Advisory 
Committee Act, this notice announces the first meeting of the Citizens' 
Health Care Working Group mandated by section 1014 of the Medicare 
Modernization Act.

DATES: The meeting will be held on Monday, April 11, 2005 from 8:30 
a.m. to 5 p.m. and Tuesday, April 12, 2005 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Agency for Healthcare 
Research and Quality, 540 Gaither Road, Rockville, Maryland 20850. The 
meeting is open to the public.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Larry T. Patton, AHRQ Liaison to the 
Citizens' Health Care Working Group, at (202) 260-7251 or 
[email protected].
    If sign language interpretation or other reasonable accommodation 
for a disability is needed, please contact Mr. Donald L. Inniss, 
Director, Office of Equal Employment Opportunity Program, Program 
Support Center, on (301) 443-1144 no later than April 1, 2005. Agenda, 
roster, and minutes are available from Larry T. Patton, AHRQ Liaison to 
the Citizens' Health Care Working group, at (202) 260-7251 or 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 1014 of Pub. L. 108-173, the 
Medicare Modernization Act (42 U.S.C. 299 note) directs the Secretary 
of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), acting through 
the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, to establish a 
Citizens' Health Care Working Group (Working Group). The statute 
charges the Working Group to: (1) Identify options for changing our 
health care system so that every American has the ability to obtain 
quality, affordable health care coverage; (2) provide for a nationwide 
public debate about improving the health care system; and (3) submit 
their recommendations to the President and the Congress.
    The Citizens' Health Care Working Group is composed of 15 members: 
the Secretary of DHHS is designated as a member by the statute and the 
Comptroller General of the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) 
is directed to appoint the remaining 14 members. The Comptroller 
General announced the 14 appointments on February 28, 2005. A list of 
the Working group members is available on the GAO Web site (http://www.gao.gov.).

Agenda

    On April 11 and April 12, 2005, the meeting will begin at 8:30 
a.m., with the call to order by the Working group

[[Page 15626]]

Chair. This first meeting of the Working group will address 
organizational issues; a review of its statutory charge, review of 
applicable Federal regulations governing its work, the development of 
additional policies to govern its operations, and the establishment of 
the format, location, and schedule for their initial meetings. The 
official agenda will be available on AHRA's Web site at http://www.ahrq.gov no later than April 1, 2005.

    Dated: March 24, 2005.
Carolyn M. Clancy,
Director.
[FR Doc. 05-6176 Filed 3-24-05; 1:58 pm]
BILLING CODE 4160-90-M