[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 33 (Friday, February 17, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Page 8586]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-1494]
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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
Thursday, March 2, 2006 from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Friday, March 3,
2006 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
ADDRESSES: This meeting will take place at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel
and Suites, 404 South Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, California 90071.
The meeting is 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, Chief of Equal
Employment Opportunity Program, Program Support Center, on (301) 443-
1444.
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
summaries of these meetings are completed, they 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 (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 health care systems; 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 business meeting on March 2nd and 3rd will be
devoted to ongoing Working Group business. Topics to be addressed are
expected to include: an update on progress to date with community
meetings; broad concepts relating to the Working Group's
recommendations and related report; and preparation for the Los Angeles
community meeting, which will take place Saturday, March 4.
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.
Dated: February 10, 2006.
Carolyn M. Clancy,
Director.
[FR Doc. 06-1494 Filed 2-16-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-90-M