[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 75 (Wednesday, April 19, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20107-20108]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-3718]


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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 Sunday, 
April 30, 2006 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Monday, May 1, 2006 from 
8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will take place at the Courtyard by Marriott, 
1900 Connecticut Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20009 in the Sequoia Room. 
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, http://www.citizenshealthcare.gov. 
Also available at that site is a roster of Working Group members. When 
a summary of this meeting is completed, it 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 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

[[Page 20108]]

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 April 30th and May 1st will 
be devoted to ongoing Working Group business. Topics to be addressed 
are expected to include: a summary of citizen input to date, the 
development of interim recommendations, and the process for obtaining 
public comments on these interim recommendations.

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]. Separate submissions by topic will facilitate 
review of ideas submitted on each topic by the Working Group and the 
public.

    Dated: April 12, 2006.
Carolyn M. Clancy,
Director.
[FR Doc. 06-3718 Filed 4-18-06; 8:45am]
BILLING CODE 4160-90-M