Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 184 / Friday, September 22, 2006 / Notices 55481 

responsible for ‘‘one-third of any 

applicable income-related monthly 

adjustment amount,’’ and we used a 

value of 331⁄3 percent to calculate the 

income-related monthly adjustment 

amounts. In this notice, we are 

correcting the income-related 

adjustment amounts to reflect a value of 

‘‘33 percent’’ as the basis for the 

calculation of these rates. 

II. Correction of Errors 

In FR Doc. 06–7709 of September 18, 

2006 (71 FR 54665), make the following 

corrections: 

1. On page 54665, in the third 

column, in the second paragraph, line 

sixteen, the term ‘‘one third’’ is 

corrected to read ‘‘33 percent.’’

2. On page 54665, in the third 

column, in the third paragraph, line 

eight, following the parenthetical and 

comma ‘‘(standard premium),’’ the 

premium rates are corrected to read 

$105.80, $124.40, $142.90, and $161.40. 

3. On pages 54667 and 54668, in the 

third column, following the fifth 

paragraph, in the first table following 

the section titled ‘‘II.A., Notice of 

Medicare Part B Monthly Actuarial 

Rates, Monthly Premium Rates, and 

Annual Deductible,’’ the amounts listed 

in the second row of the table are 

corrected to read $12.30, $105.80; third 

row are corrected to read $30.90, 

$124.40; fourth row are corrected to 

read $49.40, $142.90, and fifth row are 

corrected to read $67.90, $161.40. 

4. On page 54668, in the third 

column, following the first paragraph, in 

the second table following the section 

titled ‘‘II.A., Notice of Medicare Part B 

Monthly Actuarial Rates, Monthly 

Premium Rates, and Annual 

Deductible,’’ the amounts listed in the 

second row are corrected to read $49.40, 

$142.90, and third row are corrected to 

read $67.90, $161.40. 

5. On page 54669, in the third 

column, following the third paragraph, 

in the first table following the section 

titled ‘‘5. Premium Rates and 

Deductible,’’ the amounts listed in the 

second row are corrected to read $12.30, 

$105.80; the third row are corrected to 

read $30.90, $124.40; the fourth row are 

corrected to read $49.40, $142.90; and 

the fifth row are corrected to read 

$67.90, $161.40. 

6. On pages 54669 and 54670, in the 

third column, in the fourth paragraph, 

in the second table following the section 

titled ‘‘5. Premium Rates and 

Deductible,’’ the amounts listed in the 

second row are corrected to read $49.40, 

$142.90; and the third row are corrected 

to read $67.90, $161.40. 

7. On page 54672, in the third 

column, following the first full 

paragraph, in the first table following 

the section titled ‘‘III. Regulatory Impact 

Analysis,’’ the amounts listed in the 

second row are corrected to read $12.30, 

$105.80; the third row are corrected to 

read $30.90, $124.40; the fourth row are 

corrected to read $49.90, $142.90; and 

the fifth row are corrected to read 

$67.90, $161.40. 

8. On page 54672, in the third 

column, following the second 

paragraph, in the second table, the 

amounts listed in the second row are 

corrected to read $49.40, $142.90; and 

the third row are corrected to read 

$67.90, $161.40. 

9. On page 54672, in the first column, 

in the fourth paragraph, after the clause 

‘‘The monthly impact on the 

beneficiaries who are required to pay a 

higher premium for 2007 because their 

income exceeds specified thresholds is 

* * * the amounts and text are 

corrected to read as follows ‘‘$12.30, 

$30.90, $49.40, or $67.90 which is in 

addition to the standard monthly 

premium.’’

III. Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking 

We ordinarily publish a notice of 

proposed rulemaking in the Federal 

Register to provide a period for public 

comment before the provisions of a rule 

take effect in accordance with section 

553(b) of the Administrative Procedure 

Act (APA) (5 U.S.C. 553(b)). However, 

we can waive this notice and comment 

procedure if the Secretary finds, for 

good cause, that the notice and 

comment process is impracticable, 

unnecessary, or contrary to the public 

interest, and incorporates a statement of 

the finding and the reasons therefore in 

the notice. 

The Medicare statute requires the 

publication of the monthly actuarial 

rates and the Part B premium amounts 

in September. We ordinarily use general 

notices, rather than notice and comment 

rulemaking procedures, to make such 

announcements. In doing so, we note 

that, under the Administrative 

Procedure Act, interpretive rules, 

general statements of policy, and rules 

of agency organization, procedure, or 

practice are excepted from the 

requirements of notice and comment 

rulemaking. 

This notice corrects an inadvertent 

error in the notice that appeared in the 

Federal Register on September 18, 2006, 

entitled ‘‘Medicare Part B Monthly 

Actuarial Rates, Premium Rates, and 

Annual Deductible for Calendar Year 

2007.’’ In that notice, we also 

determined that notice and comment 

was unnecessary because the formulas 

used to calculate the Part B premium 

and the income-related monthly 

adjustment amounts are statutorily 

directed and we can exercise no 

discretion in applying those formulas. 

Moreover, the statute establishes the 

time period for which the premium 

rates will apply, and delaying 

publication of the Part B premium rate 

such that it would not be published 

before that time would be contrary to 

the public interest. 

For the same reasons, we find good 

cause to waive notice and comment 

procedures with respect to this 

correction notice. In addition, this 

correction notice includes the changes 

necessary to correct a technical error in 

the computation of the income-related 

monthly adjustment amount under the 

statutory formula. Because these 

changes affect the amount of the Part B 

income-related monthly adjustment that 

will be paid by certain beneficiaries, it 

is in the public interest to ensure that 

these changes are made as soon after the 

publication of the original notice as 

possible. 

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance 

Program No. 93.773, Medicare—Hospital 

Insurance; and Program No. 93.774, 

Medicare—Supplementary Medical 

Insurance Program) 

Dated: September 18, 2006. 

Ann C. Agnew, 

Executive Secretary to the Department. 

[FR Doc. 06–8008 Filed 9–19–06; 8:51 am] 

BILLING CODE 4120–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 

Services 

[CMS–7001–N] 

Medicare Program; Meeting of the 

Advisory Panel on Medicare 

Education, October 17, 2006 

AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & 

Medicaid Services (CMS), HHS. 

ACTION: Notice of meeting. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 

U.S.C. Appendix 2, section 10(a) (Pub. 

L. 92–463), this notice announces a 

meeting of the Advisory Panel on 

Medicare Education (the Panel) on 

October 17, 2006. The Panel advises and 

makes recommendations to the 

Secretary of Health and Human Services 

(the Secretary) and the Administrator of 

the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 

Services on opportunities to enhance 

the effectiveness of consumer education 

strategies concerning the Medicare 

program. This meeting is open to the 

public. 


sroberts on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES
55482 Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 184 / Friday, September 22, 2006 / Notices 

DATES: Meeting Date: October 17, 2006 

from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., e.d.t. 

Deadline for Meeting Registration, 

Presentations, and Written Comments: 

October 10, 2006, 12 noon, e.d.t. 

ADDRESSES: Meeting Location: Marriott 

Metro Center Hotel, 775 12th Street, 

NW., Washington, DC 20005, (202) 737–

2200. 

Meeting Registration, Presentations, 

and Written Comments: Lynne Johnson, 

Health Insurance Specialist, Division of 

Partnership Development, Office of 

External Affairs, Centers for Medicare & 

Medicaid Services, 7500 Security 

Boulevard, Mail stop S1–05–06, 

Baltimore, MD 21244–1850 or contact 

Ms. Johnson via e-mail at 

Lynne.Johnson@cms.hhs.gov. 

Meeting Registration: The meeting is 

open to the public, but attendance is 

limited to the space available. Persons 

wishing to attend this meeting must 

register by contacting Lynne Johnson at 

the address listed in the ADDRESSES

section of this notice or by telephone at 

(410) 786–0090, by 12 noon, e.d.t., on 

October 10, 2006. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Lynne Johnson, (410) 786–0090. Please 

refer to the CMS Advisory Committees’

Information Line (1–877–449–5659 toll 

free)/(410–786–9379 local) or the 

Internet (http://www.cms.hhs.gov/ 

FACA/04_APME.asp) for additional 

information and updates on committee 

activities. Press inquiries are handled 

through the CMS Press Office at (202) 

690–6145. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 

222 of the Public Health Service Act (42 

U.S.C. 217a), as amended, grants to the 

Secretary the authority to establish an 

advisory panel if the Secretary finds the 

panel necessary and in the public 

interest. The Secretary signed the 

charter establishing this Panel on 

January 21, 1999 and approved the 

renewal of the charter on January 14, 

2005. The establishment of the charter 

and renewal of the charter were 

announced in the February 17, 1999 

Federal Register (64 FR 7899), and the 

January 28, 2005 Federal Register (70 

FR 4129), respectively. The Panel 

advises and makes recommendations to 

the Secretary and the Administrator of 

the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 

Services (CMS) on opportunities to 

enhance the effectiveness of consumer 

education strategies concerning the 

Medicare program. 

The goals of the Panel are as follows: 

• To develop and implement a 

national Medicare education program 

that describes the options for selecting 

a health plan under Medicare. 

• To enhance the Federal 

government’s effectiveness in informing 

the Medicare consumer, including the 

appropriate use of public-private 

partnerships. 

• To expand outreach to vulnerable 

and underserved communities, 

including racial and ethnic minorities, 

in the context of a national Medicare 

education program. 

• To assemble an information base of 

best practices for helping consumers 

evaluate health plan options and build 

a community infrastructure for 

information, counseling, and assistance. 

The current members of the Panel are: 

Anita B. Boles, Executive Director, 

Partnership for Clear Health 

Communications; Gwendolyn T. 

Bronson, SHINE/SHIP Counselor, 

Massachusetts SHINE Program; Dr. 

Yanira Cruz, President and Chief 

Executive Officer, National Hispanic 

Council on Aging; Clayton Fong, 

President and Chief Executive Officer, 

National Asian Pacific Center on Aging; 

Nan Kirsten-Forte, Executive Vice 

President, Consumer Services, WebMD; 

Dr. Jessie C. Gruman, President and 

Chief Executive Officer, Center for the 

Advancement of Health; Betty L. 

Kennard, Vice President, Government 

Programs and Compliance, Health First 

Health Plans; Dr. David Lansky, 

Director, Health Program, Markle 

Foundation; Dr. Daniel Lyons, Senior 

Vice President, Government Programs, 

Independence Blue Cross; Dr. Frank B. 

McArdle, Manager, Hewitt Research 

Office, Hewitt Associates; Traci 

McClellan, J.D., Executive Director, 

National Indian Council on Aging; Dr. 

Keith Mueller, Professor and Section 

Head, Health Services Research and 

Rural Health Policy, University of 

Nebraska; Lee Partridge, Senior Health 

Policy Advisor, National Partnership for 

Women and Families; Myisha M. 

Patterson, National Health Coordinator, 

National Association for the 

Advancement of Colored People; Susan 

O. Raetzman, Associate Director, Public 

Policy Institute, American Association 

of Retired Persons; Rebecca Snead, 

Administrative Manager, National 

Alliance of State Pharmacy Association; 

William A. Steel, President, The 

National Grange; Marvin Tuttle, Jr., 

CAE, Executive Director and Chief 

Executive Officer, Financial Planning 

Association; Catherine Valenti, 

Chairperson and Chief Executive 

Officer, Caring Voice Coalition; and 

Grant Wedner, Manager, Business 

Development Team, Cosmix 

Corporation. 

The agenda for the October 17, 2006 

meeting will include the following: 

• Recap of the previous (May 25, 

2006) meeting. 

• Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 

Services Update. 

• Medicare Preventive Benefits. 

• Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit 

Update. 

• Public Comment. 

• Listening Session with CMS 

Leadership. 

• Next Steps. 

Individuals or organizations that wish 

to make a 5-minute oral presentation on 

an agenda topic should submit a written 

copy of the oral presentation to Lynne 

Johnson at the address listed in the 

ADDRESSES section of this notice no later 

than 12 noon, e.d.t., on October 10, 

2006. The number of oral presentations 

may be limited by the time available. 

Individuals not wishing to make a 

presentation may submit written 

comments to Ms. Johnson at the address 

listed in the ADDRESSES section of this 

notice by 12 noon, e.d.t., on October 10, 

2006. 

Special Accommodation: Individuals 

requiring sign language interpretation or 

other special accommodations should 

contact Ms. Johnson at the address 

listed in the ADDRESSES section of this 

notice at least 15 days before the 

meeting. 

Authority: Sec. 222 of the Public Health 

Service Act (42 U.S.C. 217a) and sec. 10(a) 

of Public Law 92–463 (5 U.S.C. App. 2, sec. 

10(a) and 41 CFR 102–3). 

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance 

Program No. 93.733, Medicare—Hospital 

Insurance Program; and Program No. 93.774, 

Medicare—Supplementary Medical 

Insurance Program) 

Dated: September 7, 2006. 

Mark B. McClellan, 

Administrator, Centers for Medicare & 

Medicaid Services. 

[FR Doc. 06–7884 Filed 9–21–06; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4120–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Food and Drug Administration 

[Docket No. 2006N–0180] 

Agency Information Collection 

Activities; Submission for Office of 

Management and Budget Review; 

Comment Request; Records and 

Reports Concerning Experience With 

Approved New Animal Drugs 

AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, 

HHS. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Food and Drug 

Administration (FDA) is announcing 


sroberts on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES