[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 178 (Thursday, September 15, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54557-54558]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-18389]


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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 meetings.

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

DATES: Business meetings of the Working Group will be held on 
Wednesday, September 21, 2005 from 3:30 to 5 p.m. and Thursday, 
September 22, 2005 from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. A public meeting with 
invited speakers will take place on Friday, September 23 from 9 a.m. to 
2:30 p.m. This meeting will focus on Oregon's experience in engaging 
the public in developing health care policy.

ADDRESSES: Events for all three days will take place in the Portland 
City Hall, 1221 SW. 4th Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97204. The Working 
Group business meetings on both Wednesday and Thursday will take place 
in the Rose Room. Friday's meeting will take place in the City Council 
Chambers.
    All meetings 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. Innis, Director, Office of Equal 
Employment Opportunity Program, Program Support Center, on (301) 443-
1144.
    The agendas for these three Working Group meetings are available on 
the Citizens' Working Group Web site, http://www.citizenshealthcare.gov. Also available at that site is a roster of 
Working Group members. When transcriptions of the Group's September 
meetins are completed, they will also be 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 at 42 
U.S.C. 299n., 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 its 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) 
was directed to name the remaining 14 members whose appointments were 
announced on February 28, 2005.[FEDREG][VOL]*[/VOL][NO]*[/NO][DATE]*[/
DATE][NOTICES][NOTICE][PREAMB][AGENCY]*[/AGENCY][SUBJECT]*[/SUBJECT]

Working Group Meeting Agendas

    The Working Group business meetings on September 21 and 22 will be 
devoted to ongoing Working Group business. Topics to be addressed are 
expected to include: reports from Working Group Committees, plans for 
release of the required Report to the American people, and plans for 
community meetings and other activities to engage the public.
    At the public meeting on September 23, invited speakers will 
discuss Oregon's experiences in engaging the public in discussions of 
health policy.

[[Page 54558]]

Submission of Written Information

    In general, individuals or organizations wishing to provide written 
information for consideration by the Citizens' Health Care Working 
Group should submit information electronically to 
[email protected]. The Working Group invites submissions on those 
topics to be addressed at the Working Group business meetings listed 
above. Since all electronic submissions will be posted on the Working 
Group web site, separate submissions by topic will facilitate review of 
ideas submitted on each topic by the Working Group and the public.

    Dated: September 1, 2005.
Carolyn M. Clancy,
Director.
[FR Doc. 05-18389 Filed 9-13-05; 9:47 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-90-M