[Federal Register: July 12, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 132)]
[Notices]               
[Page 40033-40034]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr12jy05-77]                         

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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 hearing.

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

DATES: The hearing will be held on Tuesday, July 26, 2005 from 8 a.m. 
to 2:30 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The hearing will be held in Houston, Texas at the Christus 
St. Joseph Hospital, 1919 La Branch, in the George Strake Building on 
the 9th floor. The hearing 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, 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 a transcription of 

the Group's July 26 hearing is completed, it will 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 (Citizens 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

[[Page 40034]]

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 hearing on July 26 will consist of four panels addressing these 
topics: Hispanic health issues, rural health, institutional-based care 
and home and community care, and retiree health care issues.

    Dated: July 7, 2005.
Carolyn M. Clancy,
Director.
[FR Doc. 05-13720 Filed 7-8-05; 9:36 am]

BILLING CODE 4160-90-M