[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 173 (Thursday, September 7, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Page 52797]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-7478]



[[Page 52797]]

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

DATES: A business meeting of the Working Group will be held on 
Wednesday September 13, 2006 and Thursday September 14, 2006. On 
September 13, the session will begin at 8:30 a.m. and end at 4 p.m. On 
September 14, 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 
coated 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, 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 (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 September 13 and September 14, will be 
devoted to ongoing Working Group business. The principal topic to be 
addressed will be completing work on the Working Group's final 
recommendations and planning for their release later in September. 
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 ended August 31, 2006 and the target 
date for release of final recommendations is 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].
    This notice is published less than 15 days in advance of the 
meeting date due to logistical difficulties.

    Dated: August 30, 2006.
Carolyn M. Clancy,
Director.
[FR Doc. 06-7478 Filed 9-6-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-90-M