[Federal Register: August 15, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 157)]
[Notices]
[Page 46914]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr15au06-40]
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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 (DHRQ), 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 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 caroline.taplin@ahrq.hhs.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 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
citizenshealth@ahrq.gov.
Dated: August 9, 2006.
Carolyn M. Clancy,
Director.
[FR Doc. 06-6930 Filed 8-10-06; 1:47 pm]
BILLING CODE 4160-90-M