[Federal Register: July 12, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 132)]
[Notices]               
[Page 40033]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr12jy05-76]                         

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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 and hearing.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with section 10(a) of the Federal Advisory 
Committee Act, this notice announces a meeting and hearing of the 
Citizens' Health Care Working Group mandated by section 1014 of the 
Medicare Modernization Act.

DATES: The meeting will be held on Thursday, July 21, 2005, from 1 p.m. 
to 5 p.m. The hearing will be held Friday, July 22, 2005, from 8:30 
a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at Intermountain Health Care, Board 
Room 22, 22nd Floor, 36 South State Street, Salt Lake City, Utah 84111. 
The hearing will be held at the Salt State Capitol, Room 125 West 
Building, 350 North Main Street, Salt Lake City, Utah 84101. The 
meeting and hearing are open to the public.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Caroline Taplin, Citizens' Health Care 
Working Group, at (301) 443-1514 or ctaplin@ahrq.gov. 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 and roster is available on the Citizens' Working Group 
Web site http://www.citizenshealth.ahrq.gov. When transcriptions of the 

Group's July 21 and 22 meeting and hearing are completed, they will be 
available on the website.

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 (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 Secretary of DHHS is designated as a member by the statute and the 
Comptroller General of the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) 
was directed to appoint the remaining 14 members. The Comptroller 
General announced the 14 appointments on February 28, 2005. A list of 
the Working group members is available on the Citizens' Working Group 
Web site http://www.citizenshealth.ahrq.gov.


Agenda

    The meeting on July 21 will be devoted to ongoing Working Group 
business. Topics to be addressed at the meeting include the work plan 
for the Working Group, its required Report to the American People and 
continuing discussion regarding approaches for conducting the community 
meetings also required by the statute.
    At the hearing on July 22, David Walker, Comptroller General of the 
United States, will give the first presentation. His remarks will be 
followed by three panels on these topics: health care quality; health 
information technology and employer/employee initiatives addressing 
health care quality.

Submission of Written Information

    In general, individuals or organizations wishing to provide written 
information for consideration by the Citizens' Health Care Working 
Group should submit information electronically to 
citizenshealth@ahrq.hhs.gov. The Working Group invites submissions that 

address the topics to be addressed at the July 21 meeting listed above. 
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: July 7, 2005.
Carolyn M. Clancy,
Director.
[FR Doc. 05-13719 Filed 7-8-05; 9:36 am]

BILLING CODE 4160-90-M