[Federal Register: December 7, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 234)]
[Notices]
[Page 72838-72839]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr07de05-89]
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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
Wednesday, December 14, 2005, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Thursday,
December 15, 2005 from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will take place at the Wilbur Cohen Building,
300 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20201 in Room 5051, the
Snow Room.
The meeting is open to the public.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Caroline Taplin, Citizens' Health Care
[[Page 72839]]
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 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
transcripts of these meetings are completed, they 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 (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 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 meeting on December 14th and 15th will be devoted
to ongoing Working Group business. Topics to be addressed are expected
to include: logistics of community meetings, the questions and
discussion guide for community meetings and the Working Group's Web
site, involvement of national organizations in outreach, background and
possible frameworks for future recommendations, and future plans and
budgets.
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
citizenshealth@ahrq.gov. 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.
This notice is published less than 15 days in advance of the
meeting due to logistical difficulties.
Dated: November 30, 2005.
Carolyn M. Clancy,
Director.
[FR Doc. 05-23673 Filed 12-6-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-90-M