Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 130 /Wednesday, July 8, 1998 / Notices 36925

Title XXI by section 2107(e)(2)(B). The

Health Care Financing Administration

(HCFA) is required to publish a copy of

the notice to the State that informs the

State of the time and place of the

hearing and the issues to be considered.

If we subsequently notify the State of

additional issues that will be considered

at the hearing, we will also publish that

notice.

Any individual or group that wants to

participate in the hearing as a party

must petition the presiding officer

within 15 days after publication of this

notice, in accordance with the

requirements contained at 42 CFR

430.76(b)(2). Any interested person or

organization that wants to participate as

amicus curiae must petition the

presiding officer before the hearing

begins in accordance with the

requirements contained at 42 CFR

430.76(c). If the hearing is later

rescheduled, the presiding officer will

notify all participants.

New York submitted this SPA on

March 26, 1998 to revise its approved

Title XXI plan to change the effective

date to October 1, 1997, from the

previously approved date of April 15,

1998. This change in effective date

would permit the State to claim

enhanced matching payments for the

operation of its Child Health Plus (CHP)

program for the period from October 1,

1997 to April 14, 1998. The SPA was

disapproved on April 1, 1998.

At issue in this reconsideration is

whether the State is entitled to an

effective date for its Title XXI plan

which included a period during which

the State was not operating a program

which met the requirements of Title XXI

(or the approved State plan). HCFA

disapproved this SPA because of two

elements of the State’s CHP program, as

in effect between October 1, 1997 and

April 14, 1998, which were inconsistent

with the requirements of Title XXI.

First, premiums and cost sharing in

effect during this period were

inconsistent with the requirements of

section 2103(e)(3)(A) of the Social

Security Act. For example, the State

CHP program provided for a $35

copayment for emergency services even

if a child’s family income was less than

150 percent of the poverty level. Also

the CHP program permitted premiums

for children with family incomes

between 120 percent and 150 percent of

the federal poverty level. Both of these

charges were in amounts higher than

those authorized under section

2103(e)(3)(A), which makes applicable

the Medicaid premium and cost sharing

limitations. Moreover, the State was not

applying procedures to ensure ‘‘that

children found through * * * screening

to be eligible for medical assistance

under the State Medicaid plan under

title XIX are enrolled for such assistance

under such plan’’ as required under

section 2102(b)(3)(B) of the Social

Security Act and guidance outlined in a

letter to States on January 23, 1998.

Section 2106(c)(1) of the Act directs

the Secretary to approve plans which

‘‘substantially comply with the

requirements’’ of Title XXI. Under

section 2106(a)(2)(B), a Title XXI plan

‘‘shall be effective beginning with a

calendar quarter that is specified in the

plan, but in no case earlier than October

1, 1997.’’ However, this flexibility is

limited by the requirement in section

2106(d)(1) that ‘‘[T]he State shall

conduct the program in accordance with

the plan (and any amendments)

approved under subsection (c) and with

the requirements of this title.’’ Approval

of the October 1, 1997 effective date was

not warranted because the State was not

operating its program in substantial

compliance with the requirements of

Title XXI or with the approved State

plan during the period October 1, 1997

through April 14, 1998.

Under Section 2106(c) of the Social

Security Act, the Secretary may

approve, disapprove, or request

additional information on a proposed

Title XXI State Plan amendment within

ninety days.

The Secretary has concluded that the

State’s amendment to its Title XXI Plan,

submitted on March 26, 1998, to change

the effective date of the plan, could not

be approved because the State program

during the period in question did not

substantially comply with the

requirements of Title XXI. Therefore,

HCFA, in consultation with the

Secretary, disapproved the amendment.

The notice to New York announcing

an administrative hearing to reconsider

the disapproval of its SPA reads as

follows:

Ms. Barbara A. DeBuono, M.D.;

M.P.H., Commissioner, State of New

York, Department of Health, Corning

Tower, Empire State Plaza, Albany, New

York 12237.

Dear Ms. DeBuono: I am responding to

your request for reconsideration of the

decision to disapprove New York Title XXI

State Plan Amendment (SPA) submitted

March 26, 1998.

At issue in this reconsideration is whether

the State is entitled to an effective date for

its Title XXI plan which included a period

during which the State was not operating a

program which met the requirements of Title

XXI (or the approved State plan).

Specifically, the premiums and cost sharing

provisions for the State’s Child Health Plus

program, in effect during the period in which

the State seeks retroactive approval through

this amendment, were inconsistent with the

requirements of section 2103 (a)(3)(A) of the

Social Security Act. In addition, the State

was not applying procedures to ensure ‘‘that

children found through * * * screening to be

eligible for medical assistance under the

State Medicaid plan under title XIX are

enrolled for such assistance under such

plan’’ as required under section 2102(b)(3)(B)

of the Social Security Act and guidance

outlined in a letter to States on January 23,

1998.

I am scheduling a hearing on your request

for reconsideration to be held on July 29,

1998 on the Thirty-Eighth Floor, 26 Federal

Plaza, New York, New York 10278.

If this date is not acceptable, we would be

glad to set another date that is mutually

agreeable to the parties. The hearing will be

governed by the procedures prescribed at 42

CFR, Part 430.

I am designating Mr. Stanley Katz as the

presiding officer. If these arrangements

present any problems, please contact the

presiding officer. In order to facilitate any

communication which may be necessary

between the parties to the hearing, please

notify the presiding officer to indicate

acceptability of the hearing date that has

been scheduled and provide names of the

individuals who will represent the State at

the hearing. The presiding officer may be

reached at (410) 786–2661.

Sincerely,

Nancy-Ann Min DeParle,

Administrator.

Section 1116 of the Social Security Act

(42 U.S.C. section 1316); 42 CFR section

430.18)

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

Program No. 13.714, Medicaid Assistance

Program)

Dated: June 29, 1998.

Nancy-Ann Min DeParle,

Administrator, Health Care Financing

Administration.

[FR Doc. 98–18019 Filed 7–2–98; 10:31 am]

BILLING CODE 4120–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND

HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health

Proposed Collection; Comment

Request; An Evaluation of the National

Cancer Institute Science Enrichment

Program

SUMMARY: In compliance with the

requirement of Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of

the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995,

for opportunity for public comment on

proposed data collection projects, the

National Cancer Institute (NCI), the

National Institute of Health (NIH) will

publish periodic summaries of proposed

projects to be submitted to the Office of

Management and Budget (OMB) for

review and approval.

PROPOSED COLLECTION: Title: An

Evaluation of the NCI Science
36926 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 130 /Wednesday, July 8, 1998 / Notices

Enrichment Program (SEP). Type of

Information Collection Request: New.

Need and Use of Information Collection:

This evaluation will assess the

effectiveness of the NCI SEP in meeting

its goals of: (1) encouraging underrepresented minority and under-served

students who have just completed ninth

grade to select careers in science,

mathematics, and/or research, and (2)

broadening and enriching students’

science, research, and sociocultural

backgrounds. The program is a five- to

six-week residential program taking

place on two university campuses—

University of Kentucky, Lexington and

San Diego State University—in summers

1998–2002. The five-year evaluation is

designed as a controlled, longitudinal

study, consisting of the five SEP cohorts

and two cohorts of control group

students who do not attend the program.

The evaluation will provide NCI with

valuable information regarding specific

components that promote or limit the

program’s effectiveness, the extent to

which the program has been

implemented as planned, how much the

two regional programs vary, and how

the program can be improved or made

more effective. NCI will use this

information to make decisions regarding

continuation and expansion of the

program. Frequency of Response: Semiannually. Affected Public: Individuals

or households and Federal Government.

Type of Respondents: High School and

College students and parents. The

annualized cost to respondents is

estimated at $4,040.00.

The annual reporting burden is as

follows:

Type of respondents Number Number of

responses

Average

hours

Annual

hours

SEP Participants ............................................................................................................... 342 2 .334 229

Control Group Students .................................................................................................... 133 3 .334 156

Parents ............................................................................................................................. 114 1 .167 19

Total ....................................................................................................................... .................... .................... .................... 404

There are no Capital Costs, Operating

Costs, and/or Maintenance Cost to

report.

REQUEST FOR COMMENTS: Written

comments and/or suggestions from the

public and affected agencies are invited

on one or more of the following points:

(1) Whether the proposed collection of

information is necessary for the proper

performance of the function of the

agency, including whether the

information will have practical utility;

(2) The accuracy of the agency’s

estimate of the burden of the proposed

collection of information, including the

validity of the methodology and

assumptions used; (3) Ways to enhance

the quality, utility, and clarity of the

information to be collected; and (4)

Ways to minimize the burden of the

collection of information on those who

are to respond, including the use of

appropriate automated, electronic,

mechanical, or other technological

collection techniques or other forms of

information technology.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: To request

more information on the proposed

project or to obtain a copy of the data

collection plans and instruments,

contact Mr. Frank Jackson, Office of

Special Populations Research, National

Cancer Institute, National Institutes of

Health, Executive Plaza South, Room

320, 6120 Executive Boulevard,

Rockville, MD 20852, or call non-tollfree number (301) 496–8589, or E-mail

your request, including your address to:

fj12i@nih.gov

COMMENTS DUE DATE: Comments

regarding this information collection are

best assured of having their full effect if

received within 60 days of this

publication.

Dated: June 29, 1998.

Reesa Nichols,

NCI Project Clearance Liaison.

[FR Doc. 98–18130 Filed 7–7–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4140–01–M

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND

HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health

National Cancer Institute; Notice of

Meeting

Pursuant to section 10(d) of the

Federal Advisory Committee Act, as

amended (5 U.S.C. Appendix 2), notice

is hereby given a meeting of the Board

of Scientific Counselors, National

Cancer Institute.

The meeting will be open to the

public as indicated below, with

attendance limited to space available.

Individuals who plan to attend and

need special assistance, such as sign

language interpretation or other

reasonable accommodations, should

notify the Contact Person listed below

in advance of the meeting.

The meeting will be closed to the

public as indicated below in accordance

with the provisions set forth in section

552b(c)(6). Title 5 U.S.C., as amended

for the review, discussion, and

evaluation of individual intramural

programs and projects conducted by the

National Cancer Institute, including

consideration of personal qualifications

and performance, and the competence

of individual investigators, the

disclosure of which would constitute a

clearly unwarranted invasion of

personal privacy.

Name of Committee: Board of Scientific

Counselors, National Cancer Institute,

Subcommittee A—Clinical Sciences and

Epidemiology.

Date: July 13, 1998.

Open: 8:30 am to 9:20 am.

Agenda: Call to order by Board Chair;

presentation by NCI Director regarding the

Bypass Budget 2001; and one concept review.

Place: National Institutes of Health, NCI,

Board of Scientific Counselors, Bldg 31, ‘‘C’’

Wing, 6th Floor, Conference Room 10, 9000

Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20892.

Closed: 9:35 am to Adjournment.

Agenda: To review and evaluate personal

qualifications and performance, and

competence of individual investigators.

Place: National Institutes of Health, NCI,

Board of Scientific Counselors, Bldg 31, ‘‘C’’

Wing, 6th Floor, Conference Room 10, 9000

Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20892.

Contact Person: Judy A. Meitz, PhD,

Executive Secretary, Office of Advisory

Activities, Division of Extramural Activities,

National Cancer Institute, National Institute

of Health, 6130 Executive Boulevard/EPN—

Room 609, Rockville, MD 20892–7410, 301/

496–2378.

(Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance

Program Nos. 93.392, Cancer Construction;

93.393, Cancer Cause and Prevention

Research; 93.394, Cancer Detection and

Diagnosis Research; 93.395, Cancer

Treatment Research; 93.396, Cancer Biology

Research; 93.397, Cancer Centers Support;

93.398, Cancer Research Manpower; 93.399,

Cancer Control, National Institutes of Health,

HHS)

Dated: June 29, 1998.

LaVerne Y. Stringfield,

Committee Management Officer, NIH.

[FR Doc. 98–18135 Filed 7–1–98; 8:45]

BILLING CODE 4140–01–M