[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 23 (Thursday, February 4, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5663-5664]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-2664]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Administration for Children and Families
Medical Child Support Working Group
AGENCY: Administration for Children and Families, DHHS.
ACTION: Notice of meeting.
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SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 10(d) of the Federal Advisory Committee
Act, as amended (5 U.S.C. Appendix 2), notice is given of the first
meeting of the Medical Child Support Working Group (MCSWG). The agenda
for this first meeting includes swearing-in and orientation of members,
program briefings, discussions, and business related to the operation
of the MCSWG.
DATES AND TIME: March 3, 1999, 3:00 PM--6:00 PM, the Opening and
Swearing-in Ceremony; March 4, 9:00 AM--3:00 PM, and March 5, 1999,
9:00 AM--Noon, for introductions and orientation for this new work
group, program briefings, discussions, and business related to the
operation of the MCSWG.
PLACE: Snow Room, room 5051, fifth floor, Wilbur Cohen Bldg., 300
Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC for 3/3/99; room 800, eighth
floor, Hubert H. Humphrey Bldg., 200 Independence Ave, SW, Washington,
DC, for 3/4/99 and 3/5/99.
PURPOSE: The purpose of this first of several meetings of the MCSWG
will be orientation of members regarding their roles and duties,
program briefings, and initial discussion of key issues. In addition,
the members will discuss business related to the operation of the
MCSWG.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The MCSWG was authorized under section 401
of the Child Support Performance and Incentive Act of 1998 (PL 105-
200).
The purpose of the MCSWG is to identify the impediments to the
effective enforcement of medical support by State Child Support
Enforcement agencies. The membership of the MCSWG was jointly appointed
by the Secretaries of the Department of Labor (DOL) and the Department
of Health and Human Services (DHHS). The membership includes
representatives of: (1) DOL; (2) DHHS; (3) State Child Support
Enforcement Directors; (4) State Medicaid Directors; (5) employers,
including owners of small businesses, and their trade and industry
representatives and certified human resource and payroll professionals;
(6) plan administrators and plan sponsors of group health plans (as
defined in section 607(1) of the Employee Retirement Income Security
Act of 1974 (29 U.S.C. 1167(1)); (7) children potentially eligible for
medical support, such as child advocacy organizations; (8) State
medical child support organizations; and (9) organizations representing
State child support programs.
The MCSWG is to submit to the Secretaries of DOL and DHHS a report
containing recommendations for appropriate measures to address the
impediments identified by the MCSWG, including: (1) recommendations
based upon assessments of the form and content of the National Medical
Support Notice, as issued under interim regulations; (2) appropriate
measures that establish the priority of withholding of child support
obligations, medical support obligations, arrearages in such
obligations, and in the case of a medical support obligation, the
employee's portion of any health care coverage premium, by such State
agencies in light of the restrictions on garnishment provided under
title III of the Consumer Credit Protection Act (15 U.S.C. 1671-1677;
(3) appropriate procedures for coordinating the provision, enforcement,
and transition of health care coverage under the State programs for
child support, Medicaid and the Child Health Insurance Program (CHIP);
(4) appropriate measures to improve the availability of alternate types
of medical support that are aside from health care coverage offered
through the noncustodial parent's employer, including measures that
establish a noncustodial parent's responsibility to share the cost of
premiums, co-payments, deductibles, or payments for service not covered
under a child's existing health coverage; (5) recommendations as to
whether reasonable cost should remain a consideration under section
452(f) of the Social Security Act; and (6) appropriate measures for
eliminating any other impediments to the effective enforcement of
medical support orders that the MCSWG deems necessary.
Public Participation
The meeting is open to the public with attendance limited by the
availability of space on a first come, first served basis. Over the
course of the MCSWG's tenure, future meetings will be dedicated to
public input. Members of the public who wish to present oral statements
should contact Samara Weinstein by telephone, fax machine, or mail as
shown below and as soon as possible, at least four days before the
meeting. The Chair of the MCSWG will reserve time for presentations by
persons requesting to speak. Oral statements will be limited to five
minutes. The order of persons wanting to make a statement will be
assigned in the order in which the requests are received. Individuals
unable to make oral presentations can mail or fax their written
comments to the MCSWG staff office at least five business days before
the meeting for distribution to the MCSWG membership and inclusion in
the public record. Persons needing special assistance, such as sign
language interpretation or other special accommodations, should contact
[[Page 5664]]
MCSWG staff at the address below as soon as possible.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Samara Weinstein, Executive
Director, Medical Child Support Working Group, Office of Child Support
Enforcement, Fourth Floor East, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, SW, Washington,
DC 20447; telephone 202-401-6953; fax number 202-401-5559; email
sweinstein@acf.dhhs.gov
Dated: January 28, 1999.
David Gray Ross,
Commissioner, Office of Child Support Enforcement.
[FR Doc. 99-2664 Filed 2-3-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-01-M
