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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 226 (Friday, November 22, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 92694-92695]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-27457]

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Indian Health Service

Notice of Purchased/Referred Care Delivery Area Redesignation for 
the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians of Michigan and Indiana

AGENCY: Indian Health Service, Department of Health and Human Services.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Indian Health Service (IHS) 
has decided to expand the geographic boundaries of the Purchased/
Referred Care Delivery Area (PRCDA) for the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi 
Indians of Michigan and Indiana (``Pokagon Band'') to include the 
counties of Kalamazoo, Kent, and Ottawa in the State of Michigan. The 
final PRCDA for the Pokagon Band now includes the Michigan counties of 
Allegan, Berrien, Cass, Kalamazoo, Kent, Ottawa, and Van Buren, and the 
Indiana counties of Elkhart, Kosciusko, La Porte, Marshall, St. Joseph, 
and Starke. The sole purpose of this expansion is to authorize 
additional Pokagon Band members and beneficiaries to receive Purchased/
Referred Care (PRC) services.

DATES: This expansion is effective as of the date of publication of 
this notice.

ADDRESSES: This notice can be found at https://www.federalregister.gov. 
Written requests for information should be delivered to: CAPT John 
Rael, Director,

[[Page 92695]]

Office of Resource Access and Partnerships, Indian Health Service, 5600 
Fishers Lane, Mail Stop 10E85C, Rockville, MD 20857.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: CAPT John Rael, Director, Office of 
Resource Access and Partnerships by email at [email protected], or by 
phone at (301) 443-0969 (this is not a toll-free number).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The IHS provides services under regulations 
in effect as of September 15, 1987, and republished at 42 CFR part 136, 
subparts A-C. Subpart C defines a Contract Health Service Delivery Area 
(CHSDA), now referred to as a PRCDA, as the geographic area within 
which PRC will be made available by the IHS to members of an identified 
Indian community who reside in the PRCDA. Residence within a PRCDA by a 
person who is within the scope of the Indian health program, as set 
forth in 42 CFR 136.12, creates no legal entitlement to PRC but only 
potential eligibility for services. Services needed, but not available 
at an IHS/Tribal facility, are provided under the PRC program depending 
on the availability of funds, the relative medical priority of the 
services to be provided, and the actual availability and accessibility 
of alternate resources in accordance with the regulations.
    The regulations at 42 CFR part 136, subpart C provide that, unless 
otherwise designated, a PRCDA shall consist of a county which includes 
all or part of a reservation and any county or counties which have a 
common boundary with the reservation. 42 CFR 136.22(a)(6). The 
regulations also provide that after Consultation with the Tribal 
governing body or bodies on those reservations included within the 
PRCDA, the Secretary may, from time to time, redesignate areas within 
the United States for inclusion in or exclusion from a PRCDA. 42 CFR 
136.22(b). The regulations require that certain criteria must be 
considered before any redesignation is made. The criteria are as 
follows:
    (1) The number of Indians residing in the area proposed to be so 
included or excluded;
    (2) Whether the Tribal governing body has determined that Indians 
residing in the area near the reservation are socially and economically 
affiliated with the Tribe;
    (3) The geographic proximity to the reservation of the area whose 
inclusion or exclusion is being considered; and
    (4) The level of funding which would be available for the provision 
of PRC.
    Additionally, the regulations require that any redesignation of a 
PRCDA be made in accordance with the procedures of the Administrative 
Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553). 42 CFR 136.22(c). In compliance with this 
requirement, the IHS published a notice of proposed redesignation and 
requested public comments on May 17, 2024 (89 FR 43415). The IHS did 
not receive any comments in response to the notice of proposed 
redesignation.
    In support of this expansion, the IHS makes the following findings:
    1. By expanding the PRCDA to include Kalamazoo, Kent, and Ottawa 
Counties in the State of Michigan, the Pokagon Band's PRC-eligible 
population will increase by an estimated 537 Tribal citizens.
    2. The Tribal citizens and certain other PRC-eligible individuals 
within the expanded PRCDA are socially and economically affiliated with 
the Pokagon Band based on a Tribal resolution in which the Pokagon Band 
Tribal Council identified its intent to expand the PRCDA to include 
Kalamazoo, Kent, and Ottawa Counties in Michigan, and stated that the 
Tribal citizens and certain other individuals residing in such areas 
are socially and economically affiliated with the Pokagon Band.
    3. The expanded PRCDA counties form a contiguous area with the 
existing PRCDA, and Pokagon Band citizens reside in each of the 
expansion counties. For these reasons, the IHS has determined that the 
expansion counties are geographically proximate, meaning ``on or 
near'', to the Pokagon Band's reservation.
    4. The Pokagon Band has indicated that its PRC program can continue 
providing the same level of care to the expanded PRC-eligible 
population. No additional financial resources will be allocated by the 
IHS to the Pokagon Band to provide services to the Pokagon Band's PRC-
eligible population as a result of this PRCDA expansion.
    An updated listing of the PRCDAs for all federally-recognized 
Tribes may be accessed via a link on the IHS PRCDA Expansion website 
(https://www.ihs.gov/prc/prcda-expansion).
    Public Comments: The IHS did not receive any comments in response 
to the notice of proposed expansion.

Roselyn Tso,
Director, Indian Health Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-27457 Filed 11-21-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4166-14-P
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