[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 157 (Tuesday, August 15, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Page 46914]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-6930]


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

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 (DHRQ), 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 (Working Group) mandated by section 1014 of the 
Medicare Modernization Act.

DATES: A business meeting of the Working Group will be held on Monday 
August 28, 2006 and Tuesday August 29, 2006. On August 28, the session 
will begin at 8:30 a.m. and end at 4 p.m. On August 29, the session 
will begin at 8:30 a.m. and end at 2 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will take place at the conference room of the 
United Food and Commercial Workers International Union. The office is 
located at 1775 K Street NW., Washington, DC 20006. The main 
receptionist area is located on the 7th floor; the conference room is 
located on the 11th floor. 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 side 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 Public Law 108-173, (known 
as the Medicare Modernization Act) directs the Secretary of the 
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), acting through the 
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, to establish a Citizens' 
Health Care Working Group (Working 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 HHS is designated as a member by statute. 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 meeting on August 28 and August 29 will be 
devoted to ongoing Working Group business. The principal topic to be 
addressed will be the refinement of materials associated with the 
Working Group's final recommendations. Interim recommendations were 
posted on the Working Group's Web site http://www.citizenshealthcare.gov on June 2, 2006. the comment period for the 
interim recommendations ends August 31, 2006 and the target date for 
release of final recommendations in September 26, 2006.

Submission of Written Information

    To fulfill its charge described above, the Working Group has been 
conducting a public dialogue on health care in America through public 
meetings held across the country and through comments received on its 
Web site. The Working Group invites members of the public to the Web 
site to be part of that dialogue and encourages comments on the interim 
recommendations.
    Further, the Working Group will accept written submissions for 
consideration 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 at this meeting should submit information electronically to 
[email protected].

    Dated: August 9, 2006.
Carolyn M. Clancy,
Director.
[FR Doc. 06-6930 Filed 8-10-06; 1:47 pm]
BILLING CODE 4160-90-M