[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 212 (Thursday, November 3, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66836-66837]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-21863]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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

DATES: The Business meeting of the Working Group will be held on 
Tuesday, November 15, 2005 from 2:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and continue on 
Wednesday, November 16, 2005 from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will take place at the Tremont Park Hotel in 
Baltimore, Maryland. The Tremont Park Hotel is located at 8 East 
Pleasant Street.
    The meeting is 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 for this Working Group meeting will be available on the 
Citizens' Working Group Web site, www.citizenshealthcare.gov. Also 
available at that site is a roster of Working Group members. When 
transcripts of the Group's November 15th-16th meeting is completed, it 
will also be available on the Web site.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 1014 of Public Law 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. 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 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 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.

Working Group Meeting Agenda

    The Working Group business meeting on November 15th and 16th will 
be devoted to ongoing Working Group business. Topics to be addressed 
are expected to include: Working Group partners, plans for community 
meetings and other activities to engage the public, questions to be 
asked in public engagement activities, and the process for developing 
recommendations.

[[Page 66837]]

Submission of Written Information

    The Working Group invites written submissions on those topics to be 
addressed at the Working Group business meeting listed above. 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]. 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.

Carolyn M. Clancy,
Director.
[FR Doc. 05-21863 Filed 11-1-05; 11:42 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-90-M