[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 101 (Thursday, May 26, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Page 30446]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-10651]



[[Page 30446]]

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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), HHS)

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 a meeting and hearing of the 
Citizens' Health Care Working Group mandated by section 1014 of the 
Medicare Modernization Act.

DATES: The meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 7, 2005 from 1 p.m. to 
5 p.m. The hearing will be held Wednesday, June 8, 2005 from 8 a.m. to 
12 noon.

ADDRESSES: The meeting and hearing will both be held at the Jackson 
Medical Mall, 350 West Woodrow Wilson Drive, Jackson, Mississippi 
39213. The meeting and hearing are open to the public.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Caroline Taplin, Citizens' Health Care 
Working Group, at (301) 443-1514 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.
    The agenda and roster is available on the Citizens' Group Web site. 
http://www.citizenshealth.ahrq.gov. When a transcription of the Group's 
June 7 and 8 meeting and hearing are completed, they are available on 
the Web site.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 1014 of Pub. L. 108-173, (known as 
the Medicare Modernization Act) 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 (Citizen Group). This statutory provision, codified in 42 
U.S.C. 299 n., directs 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

    The meeting on June 7 will be devoted to ongoing Working Group 
business. The hearing on the morning of June 8 will be devoted to three 
broad topics: Access; the reality of being uninsured; and State, local, 
and private initiatives.
    The business meeting on June 7 will address topics such as: 
Discussions of future additional hearings, the required Report to the 
American People, and continuing discussion regarding approaches for 
conducting the community meetings required by the statute.

Submission of Written Information

    Individuals or organizations wishing to provide written information 
for consideration by the Citizen Group should submit information 
electronically to [email protected]. Targeted but separate 
submissions that address the following topics are encouraged: (1) The 
above-listed issues that will be addressed at the June meeting; (2) the 
issues that the statute requires the Report to the American People to 
address which can be found at the Citizen Group Web site; and (3) 
examples of innovative public or private sector initiatives to address 
the issues that the statute requires the hearings or Report to address. 
If an individual or organization wishes to address more than one of 
these topics, separate submissions are requested. Because all 
electronic submissions will be posted on the Working Group Web site, 
separate submissions will facilitate review of ideas submitted on each 
topic by the Working Group and the public.

    Dated: May 24, 2005
Carolyn M. Clancy,
Director.
[FR Doc. 05-10651 Filed 5-24-05; 1:13 pm]
BILLING CODE 4160-90-M