[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 33 (Friday, February 17, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Page 8586]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-1494]


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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 of the Citizens' Health 
Care Working Group (the Working Group) mandated by section 1014 of the 
Medicare Modernization Act.

DATES: A business meeting of the Working Group will be held on 
Thursday, March 2, 2006 from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Friday, March 3, 
2006 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

ADDRESSES: This meeting will take place at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel 
and Suites, 404 South Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, California 90071. 
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, Chief of Equal 
Employment Opportunity Program, Program Support Center, on (301) 443-
1444.
    The agenda for this Working Group meeting will be 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 
summaries of these meetings 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. 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 health care systems; 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 March 2nd and 3rd will be 
devoted to ongoing Working Group business. Topics to be addressed are 
expected to include: an update on progress to date with community 
meetings; broad concepts relating to the Working Group's 
recommendations and related report; and preparation for the Los Angeles 
community meeting, which will take place Saturday, March 4.

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.

    Dated: February 10, 2006.
Carolyn M. Clancy,
Director.
[FR Doc. 06-1494 Filed 2-16-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-90-M