[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 10 (Friday, January 15, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Page 2551]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-675]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration


National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program: Revised Amount of 
the Average Cost of a Health Insurance Policy

    The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is 
publishing an updated monetary amount of the average cost of a health 
insurance policy as it relates to the National Vaccine Injury 
Compensation Program (VICP).
    Section 100.2 of the VICP's implementing regulation (42 CFR Part 
100) states that the revised amounts of an average cost of a health 
insurance policy, as determined by the Secretary, are to be published 
periodically in a notice in the Federal Register. This figure is 
calculated using the most recent Medical Expenditure Panel Survey-
Insurance Component (MEPS-IC) data available as the baseline for the 
average monthly cost of a health insurance policy. This baseline is 
adjusted by the annual percentage increase/decrease obtained from the 
most recent annual Kaiser Family Foundation and Health Research and 
Educational Trust (KFF/HRET) Employer Health Benefits survey or other 
authoritative source that may be more accurate or appropriate.
    In 2009, MEPS-IC, available at http://www.meps.ahrq.gov, published 
the annual 2008 average total single premium per enrolled employee at 
private-sector establishments that provide health insurance. The figure 
published was $4,386. This figure is divided by 12-months to determine 
the cost per month of $365.50. The $365.50 shall be increased or 
decreased by the percentage change reported by the most recent KFF/
HRET, available at http://www.kff.org. The percentage increase was 
published at 5 percent. By adding this percentage increase, the 
calculated average monthly cost of a health insurance policy for 12-
month period is $383.78.
    The Department will periodically (generally on an annual basis) 
recalculate the average cost of a health insurance policy by obtaining 
a new figure from the latest MEPS-IC data and updating this figure 
using the percentage change(s) reported by the most recent data from 
KFF/HRET or other authoritative source that may be more accurate or 
appropriate in the future. The updated calculation will be published as 
a notice in the Federal Register and filed with the Court.
    Therefore, the Secretary announces that the revised average cost of 
a health insurance policy under the VICP is $383.78 per month. In 
accordance with Sec.  100.2, the revised amount was effective upon its 
delivery by the Secretary to the United States Court of Federal Claims. 
Such notice was delivered to the Court on January 4, 2010.

    Dated: January 11, 2010.
Mary K. Wakefield,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2010-675 Filed 1-14-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165-15-P