Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 192 / Tuesday, October 5, 2004 / Notices 59599

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Office of the Assistant Secretary for 

Planning and Evaluation; Medicare 

Program; Meeting of the Technical 

Advisory Panel on Medicare Trustee 

Reports

AGENCY: Assistant Secretary for 

Planning and Evaluation, HHS.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

SUMMARY: This notice announces a 

public meeting of the Technical 

Advisory Panel on Medicare Trustee 

Reports (Panel). Notice of this meeting 

is given under the Federal Advisory 

Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App. 2, section 

10(a)(1) and (a)(2)). The Panel will 

discuss the long-term rate of change in 

health spending and may make 

recommendations to the Medicare 

Trustees on how the Trustees might 

more accurately estimate health 

spending in the long run. The Panel’s 

discussion is expected to be very 

technical in nature and will focus on the 

actuarial and economic methods by 

which Trustees might more accurately 

measure health spending. Although 

panelists are not limited in the topics 

they may discuss, the Panel is not 

expected to discuss or recommend 

changes in current or future Medicare 

provider payment rates or coverage 

policy.

DATES: October 15, 2004, 8 a.m.–4 p.m. 

e.d.t.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at 

HHS headquarters at 200 Independence 

Ave., SW., 20201, Room 705A. 

Comments: The meeting will allocate 

time on the agenda to hear public 

comments. In lieu of oral comments, 

formal written comments may be 

submitted for the record to Jacob 

Kaplan, OASPE, 200 Independence 

Ave., SW., 20201, Room 447D. Those 

submitting written comments should 

identify themselves and any relevant 

organizational affiliations.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Jacob Kaplan at (202) 401–6119, 

jacob.kaplan@hhs.gov. Note: Although 

the meeting is open to the public, 

procedures governing security 

procedures and the entrance to Federal 

buildings may change without notice. 

Those wishing to attend the meeting 

should call or e-mail Mr. Kaplan by 

October 11, 2004, so their name may be 

put on a list of expected attendees and 

forwarded to the security officers at 

HHS Headquarters.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On April 

22, 2004, we published a notice 

announcing the establishment and 

requesting nominations for individuals 

to serve on the Panel. The panel 

members are: Mark Pauly, Edwin 

Hustead, Alice Rosenblatt, Michael 

Chernew, David Meltzer, John Bertko, 

and William Scanlon. 

Topics of the Meeting: The Panel is 

specifically charged with discussing and 

possibly making recommendations to 

the Medicare Trustees on how the 

Trustees might more accurately estimate 

the long term rate of health spending in 

the United States. The discussion is 

expected to focus on highly technical 

aspects of estimation involving 

economics and actuarial science. 

Panelists are not restricted, however, in 

the topics they choose to discuss. 

Procedure and Agenda: This meeting 

is open to the public. Interested persons 

may observe the deliberations and 

discussions, but the Panel will not hear 

public comments until the end of Panel 

deliberations. The Commission will also 

allow an open public session for any 

attendee to address issues specific to the 

topic.

Authority: 42 U.S.C. 217a; Section 222 of 

the Public Health Services Act, as amended. 

The panel is governed by provisions of 

Public Law 92–463, as amended (5 USC 

Appendix 2), which sets forth standards for 

the formation and use of advisory 

committees.

Dated: September 29, 2004. 

Michael J. O’Grady, 

Assistant Secretary for Planning and 

Evaluation.

[FR Doc. 04–22323 Filed 10–4–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4150–05–P

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention 

[30Day–04–04HH] 

Proposed Data Collections Submitted 

for Public Comment and 

Recommendations 

The Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention (CDC) publishes a list of 

information collection requests under 

review by the Office of Management and 

Budget (OMB) in compliance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 

Chapter 35). To request a copy of these 

requests, call the CDC Reports Clearance 

Officer at (404) 498–1210 or send an 

email to omb@cdc.gov. Send written 

comments to CDC Desk Officer, Human 

Resources and Housing Branch, New 

Executive Office Building, Room 10235, 

Washington, DC 20503 or by fax to (202) 

395–6974. Written comments should be 

received within 30 days of this notice. 

Proposed Project 

Active Surveillance of Ciguatera in 

Culebra, Puerto Rico—New—National 

Center for Environmental Health 

(NCEH), Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention (CDC). 

Ciguatera fish poisoning (CFP) is a 

serious health threat to people in Puerto 

Rico. Many finfish that live in the 

island’s coral reefs carry ciguatoxin. 

When people consume these finfish, 

they can get CFP, a condition that 

causes gastrointestinal and neurological 

symptoms. To quantify the health 

burden caused by CFP, the local 

department of health tallies the number 

of cases of CFP reported by health care 

providers on the island. A recent 

evaluation of this passive surveillance 

system determined that the majority of 

CFP cases that occur on the island are 

missed. To accurately quantify the 

health threat of CFP to the population 

in Puerto Rico, the National Center for 

Environmental Health, Centers for 

Disease Control and Prevention, in 

conjunction with the Puerto Rico 

Department of Health, will conduct 

active surveillance for CFP for twelve 

(12) months in Puerto Rico. 

This active surveillance system will 

quantify the public health burden of 

CFP by determining the incidence, risk 

factors, and economic effect of CFP in 

Culebra, Puerto Rico. Household 

questionnaire, Part B will be 

administered to each household in 

Culebra every four (4) months for one 

(1) year. This questionnaire elicits 

information on household fish 

consumption and identifies individuals 

who have developed symptoms of CFP. 

A second questionnaire will be 

administered once individuals having 

symptoms compatible with CFP are 

identified. This second questionnaire 

explores personal risk factors, medical 

management, and costs incurred while 

the individuals were ill with CFP. To 

confirm the presence of ciguatoxin in 

affected areas, fish will be collected 

from local reefs, fish vendors, and any 

appropriate leftover fish from people 

with CFP. The fish will be analyzed by 

the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. 

Ultimately, the information provided 

by this study will aid the Puerto Rico 

Department of Health in controlling the 

health threat of CFP. Quantifying the 

incidence, risk factors, and economic 

burden of CFP will guide the 

development of preventive strategies. 

The annualized burden to respondents 

is estimated to be 250 hours.