Designation of medically underserved populations and areas--HRSA. Notice

Under the provisions of section 330(b)(6) of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act, 42 U.S.C. 254c(b)(6), as amended by Pub. L. 99-280, the Governors of the States of Hawaii and Maine have asked the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to designate specific populations within their States as medically underserved populations (MUPs). Also, under section 330(b)(3) of the PHS Act, certain geographic areas in the States of Missouri, Nebraska, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Washington have been proposed for designation as medically underserved areas (MUAs). This notice provides an opportunity for State and local officials, State organizations representing Community Health Centers, and other interested parties in the above-mentioned States to provide recommendations and to comment on the proposals to designate as medically underserved the areas and populations described in this notice.     

Designation of medically underserved areas--Health Services Administration. Notice

This notice is intended to clarify, for purposes of certain Federal health programs, the distinction between designation of an area as a Health Manpower Shortage Area (HMSA) and designation of an area as a Medically Underserved Area (MUA). Although it is possible for an area to be designated as both an HMSA and an MUA, the two designation processes are independent, each having its own established criteria and procedures. An area designated as an HMSA will be considered as an MUA only if it has been formally designated as an MUA under the criteria and procedures published in the Federal Register. The latest such publication is that of October 15, 1976 (41 FR 45718--45777), "Designation of Medically Underserved Areas."     

Lists of designated primary medical care, mental health, and dental health professional shortage areas--HRSA. Notice

This notice provides lists of all areas, population groups, and facilities designated as primary medical care, mental health, and dental health professional shortage areas (HPSAs) as of September 30, 1996. HPSAs are designated or withdrawn by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) under the authority of section 332 of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act.     

Lists of designated primary medical care, mental health, and dental health professional shortage areas--HRSA. Notice

This notice provides lists of all areas, population groups, and facilities designated as primary medical care, mental health, and dental health professional shortage areas (HPSAs) as of June 15, 1995. HPSAs are designated or withdrawn by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) under the authority of section 332 of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act.     

List of designated primary medical care, mental health, and dental health professional shortage areas--HRSA. Notice

This notice provides lists of all areas, population groups, and facilities designated as primary medical care, mental health, and dental health professional shortage areas (HPSAs) as of March 31, 1997. HPSAs are designated or withdrawn by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) under the authority of section 322 of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act.     

Withdrawals from list of designated primary care health manpower shortage areas--HRSA

This notice provides a list of those areas that have been withdrawn from designation as having primary care health manpower shortages since the most recent list of all designated Health Manpower Shortage Areas ( HMSAs ) was published in the Federal Register on August 19, 1983 (48 FR 37822). Such areas are designated or withdrawn by the Secretary of Health and Human Services under the authority of section 332 of the Public Health Service Act. A forthcoming notice will list those HMSAs that remain designated or have been newly designated.     

Designation of medically underserved areas; list of final deletions--Health Resources and Services Administration. Notice

This notice is to advise all interested individuals and organizations, particularly Health Systems Agencies and State Health Planning and Development Agencies, of the final deletions from the list of areas that have been designated as medically underserved areas (MUAs). The final deletions result from analysis of comments received since the publication on October 28, 1981, in the Federal Register [46 FR 53320] of areas proposed for deletion.     

Medicare program; payment for teleconsultations in rural health professional shortage areas--HCFA. Proposed rule

This proposed rule would implement parts of section 4206 of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 by amending our regulations to provide for payment for professional consultation by a physician and certain other practitioners via interactive telecommunication systems. Payment may be made if the physician or other practitioner is furnishing a service for which payment may be made under Medicare to a beneficiary residing in a rural area that is designated as a health professional shortage area. This proposed rule would also establish a methodology for determining the amount of payments made for the consultation.     

Federal employees health benefits program; medically underserved areas for 1998--OPM. Notice of medically underserved areas for 1998

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has completed its annual calculation of the States that qualify as Medically Underserved Areas under the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program for the calendar year 1998. This is necessary to comply with a provision of FEHB law that mandates special consideration for enrollees of certain FEHB plans who receive covered health services in states with critical shortages of primary care physicians. Accordingly, for calendar year 1998, OPM's calculations show that the following States are Medically Underserved Areas under the FEHB Program: Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, South Carolina, South Dakota, West Virginia, and Wyoming. North Dakota has been removed from that list, with no new additions for 1998.     

Criteria for designation of mental health professional shortage areas--PHS. Final rule

This final rule amends the existing regulations governing the criteria for designation of health manpower shortage areas, or HMSAs (now health professional shortage areas, or HPSAs; name changed by Public Law 101-597, the National Health Service Corps Revitalization Amendments of 1990) under section 332 of the Public Health Service Act. Specifically, this amendment revises the existing criteria for designation of HMSAs having shortages of psychiatric manpower, transforming them into criteria for designation of HPSAs having shortages of mental health professionals, to take into account not only psychiatrists but also mental health service providers other than psychiatrists. The intended effect of this amendment is to more accurately assess the supply of mental health service providers when making shortage area determinations. This notice also summarizes the comments received by the Department on the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking published on August 8, 1989, which set forth the proposed methodology for making this and other changes to the HMSA criteria. It also formally changes "HMSA" to "HPSA" throughout the regulation, to conform with Public Law 101-597.     

Federal Employees Health Benefits Program: medically underserved areas for 1992--Office of Personnel Management. Notice of medically underserved areas for 1992

The Office of Personnel Management has completed its annual determination of the States that qualify as Medically Underserved Areas under the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program for calendar year 1992. This determination is necessary to comply with a provision of FEHB law that mandates special consideration for enrollees of certain FEHB plans who receive covered health services in States with critical shortages of primary care physicians. Accordingly, for calendar year 1992, OPM has determined that the following States are Medically Underserved Areas under the FEHB Program: Alabama, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, West Virginia, and Wyoming. This list is the same as that for 1991, with the exception of the addition of Alabama.     

Establishment of criteria for determining priorities among designated health professional shortage areas--HRA. Notice

In accordance with the requirement of section 333A(c) of the Public Health Service Act, as amended by Public Law 101-597 (the National Health Service Corps Revitalization Amendments of 1990), this Notice establishes the criteria which the Secretary will use to make determinations under section 333A(a)(1)(A) of the health professional shortage areas (HPSAs) with the greatest shortages, using the exclusive factors specified in section 333A(b).     

Requests that certain areas be designated as medically underserved areas--Health Resources and Services Administration. Notice

This notice is to advise all interested individuals and organizations particularly Health Systems Agencies and State Health Planning and Development Agencies, that the Department is reviewing a number of requests that certain areas be added to the current listing of areas designated as Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs). Governors of affected States will be consulted by letter regarding the proposed designations in their States. These areas are being reviewed as the result of requests for designation submitted by Health Systems Agencies.     

Federal Employees Health Benefits Program; benefits for medically underserved areas--Office of Personnel Management. Final rule

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is amending its regulations pertaining to benefits under the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program for individuals in medically underserved areas. These regulations are necessary to implement the FEHB law, as amended, which mandates special consideration for enrollees of certain FEHB plans who receive covered health service in States with critical shortages of primary care physicians.     

Federal Employees Health Benefits Program; benefits for medically underserved areas--Office of Personnel Management. Final rule

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is amending its regulations pertaining to benefits under the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program for individuals in medically underserved areas, these regulations are necessary to implement the FEHB law, as amended, which mandates special consideration for enrollees of certain FEHB plans who receive covered health service in States with critical shortages of primary care physicians.     

Department of Health and Human Services--Grants and subgrants to for-profit organizations. Proposed rules

This rule proposed to remove regulatory bars to grants to for-profit organizations under three HHS grant programs in which the for-profit organizations are not barred by statute from receiving grants. It also proposes (1) to make HHS's Department-wide grants administration regulations, 45 CFR Part 74, apply automatically to grants and subgrants to for-profit organizations and (2) to add to those regulations additional provisions for grants and subgrants to for-profit organizations. These actions reflect a reversal of the Department's generally policy of not making for-profit organizations eligible for grants in those few programs where they are not statutorily barred from receiving grants.     

Designation of health services areas and health systems agency application information--HRSA. Notice designating health services areas in Ohio

This notice is issued to announce the establishment of ten health service areas for the State of Ohio and to provide information on the application procedures to become a federally designated and funded health systems agency.