Annual Update of the HHS Poverty Guidelines, 3848-3849 [06-624]

Download as PDF 3848 Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 15 / Tuesday, January 24, 2006 / Notices Space in Public Buildings and Grounds, to request the use of public space in Federal buildings and on Federal grounds for cultural, educational, or recreational activities. A copy, sample, or description of any material or item proposed for distribution or display must also accompany this request. B. Annual Reporting Burden Respondents: 8,000. Responses Per Respondent: 1. Hours Per Response: 0.05. Total Burden Hours: 400. Obtaining Copies of Proposals: Requesters may obtain a copy of the information collection documents from the General Services Administration, Regulatory Secretariat (VIR), 1800 F Street, NW., Room 4035, Washington, DC 20405, telephone (202) 208–7312. Please cite OMB Control No. 3090–0044, GSA Form 3453, Application/Permit for Use of Space in Public Buildings and Grounds, in all correspondence. Dated: January 13, 2006. Michael W. Carleton, Chief Information Officer. [FR Doc. 06–671 Filed 1–23–06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6820–23–S DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Office of the Secretary Annual Update of the HHS Poverty Guidelines Department of Health and Human Services. ACTION: Notice. rmajette on PROD1PC67 with NOTICES1 AGENCY: SUMMARY: This notice provides an update of the HHS poverty guidelines to account for last calendar year’s increase in prices as measured by the Consumer Price Index. DATES: Effective Date: Date of publication, unless an office administering a program using the guidelines specifies a different effective date for that particular program. ADDRESSES: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, Room 404E, Humphrey Building, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Washington, DC 20201. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information about how the guidelines are used or how income is defined in a particular program, contact the Federal, state, or local office that is responsible for that program. Contact information for two frequently requested programs is given below: For information about the Hill-Burton Uncompensated Services Program (free VerDate Aug<31>2005 14:44 Jan 23, 2006 Jkt 208001 or reduced-fee health care services at certain hospitals and other facilities for persons meeting eligibility criteria involving the poverty guidelines), contact the Office of the Director, Division of Facilities Compliance and Recovery, Health Resources and Services Administration, HHS, Room 10–105, Parklawn Building, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, Maryland 20857. To speak to a person, call (301) 443–5656. To receive a Hill-Burton information package, call 1–800–638– 0742 (for callers outside Maryland) or 1–800–492–0359 (for callers in Maryland). You may also visit https:// www.hrsa.gov/osp/dfcr/. The Division of Facilities Compliance and Recovery notes that as set by 42 CFR 124.505(b), the effective date of this update of the poverty guidelines for facilities obligated under the Hill-Burton Uncompensated Services Program is sixty days from the date of this publication. For information about the percentage multiple of the poverty guidelines to be used on immigration forms such as USCIS Form I–864, Affidavit of Support, contact U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services at 1–800–375– 5283 or visit https://uscis.gov/graphics/ howdoi/affsupp.htm. For information about the number of people in poverty or about the Census Bureau poverty thresholds, visit the Poverty section of the Census Bureau’s Web site at https://www.census.gov/ hhes/www/poverty/poverty.html or contact the Housing and Household Economic Statistics Information Staff at (301) 763–3242. For general questions about the poverty guidelines themselves, contact Gordon Fisher, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, Room 404E, Humphrey Building, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, DC 20201— telephone: (202) 690–7507—or visit https://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background Section 673(2) of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (OBRA) of 1981 (42 U.S.C. 9902(2)) requires the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services to update, at least annually, the poverty guidelines, which shall be used as an eligibility criterion for the Community Services Block Grant program. The poverty guidelines also are used as an eligibility criterion by a number of other Federal programs. The poverty guidelines issued here are a simplified version of the poverty thresholds that the Census Bureau uses PO 00000 Frm 00034 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 to prepare its estimates of the number of individuals and families in poverty. As required by law, this update is accomplished by increasing the latest published Census Bureau poverty thresholds by the relevant percentage change in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI–U). The guidelines in this 2006 notice reflect the 3.4 percent price increase between calendar years 2004 and 2005. After this inflation adjustment, the guidelines are rounded and adjusted to standardize the differences between family sizes. The same calculation procedure was used this year as in previous years. (Note that these 2006 guidelines are roughly equal to the poverty thresholds for calendar year 2005 which the Census Bureau expects to publish in final form in August 2006.) 2006 POVERTY GUIDELINES FOR THE 48 CONTIGUOUS STATES AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Persons in family unit 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ............................................ ............................................ ............................................ ............................................ ............................................ ............................................ ............................................ ............................................ Poverty guideline $9,800 13,200 16,600 20,000 23,400 26,800 30,200 33,600 For family units with more than 8 persons, add $3,400 for each additional person. 2006 POVERTY GUIDELINES FOR ALASKA Persons in family unit 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ............................................ ............................................ ............................................ ............................................ ............................................ ............................................ ............................................ ............................................ Poverty guideline $12,250 16,500 20,750 25,000 29,250 33,500 37,750 42,000 For family units with more than 8 persons, add $4,250 for each additional person. 2006 POVERTY GUIDELINES FOR HAWAII Persons in family unit 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 ............................................ ............................................ ............................................ ............................................ ............................................ ............................................ ............................................ E:\FR\FM\24JAN1.SGM 24JAN1 Poverty guideline $11,270 15,180 19,090 23,000 26,910 30,820 34,730 Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 15 / Tuesday, January 24, 2006 / Notices these terms, traceable to the different laws and regulations that govern the various programs. Therefore, questions about how a particular program applies Poverty Persons in family unit guideline the poverty guidelines (e.g., Is income before or after taxes? Should a particular 8 ............................................ 38,640 type of income be counted? Should a For family units with more than 8 persons, particular person be counted in the add $3,910 for each additional person. family or household unit?) should be Separate poverty guideline figures for directed to the organization that administers the program. Alaska and Hawaii reflect Office of Economic Opportunity administrative Dated: January 18, 2006. practice beginning in the 1966–1970 Michael O. Leavitt, period. (Note that the Census Bureau Secretary of Health and Human Services. poverty thresholds—the version of the [FR Doc. 06–624 Filed 1–20–06; 8:45 am] poverty measure used for statistical BILLING CODE 4151–05–P purposes—have never had separate figures for Alaska and Hawaii). The poverty guidelines are not defined for DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND Puerto Rico or other outlying HUMAN SERVICES jurisdictions. In cases in which a Federal program using the poverty Agency for Healthcare Research and guidelines serves any of those Quality jurisdictions, the Federal office that Solicitation for Nominations for New administers the program is responsible Primary and Secondary Health Topics for deciding whether to use the contiguous-states-and-DC guidelines for To Be Considered for Review by the United States Preventive Services Task those jurisdictions or to follow some Force other procedure. Due to confusing legislative language AGENCY: Agency for Healthcare Research dating back to 1972, the poverty and Quality (AHRQ), DHHS. guidelines have sometimes been ACTION: Solicit for new topic mistakenly referred to as the ‘‘OMB’’ nominations. (Office of Management and Budget) poverty guidelines or poverty line. In SUMMARY: The Agency for Healthcare fact, OMB has never issued the Research and Quality (AHRQ) invites guidelines; the guidelines are issued individuals and organizations to each year by the Department of Health nominate primary and secondary and Human Services. The poverty prevention topics pertaining to clinical guidelines may be formally referenced preventive services that they would like as ‘‘the poverty guidelines updated the United States Preventive Services periodically in the Federal Register by Task Force (USPSTF) to consider for the U.S. Department of Health and review. A list of topics that have been Human Services under the authority of recently reviewed or are currently under 42 U.S.C. 9902(2).’’ review by the USPSTF is listed below in Some programs use a percentage the supplementary information section. multiple of the guidelines (for example, The USPSTF is an independent panel 125 percent or 185 percent of the of experts that makes evidence-based guidelines), as noted in relevant recommendations regarding the authorizing legislation or program provision of clinical preventive services. regulations. Non-Federal organizations Clinical preventive services include that use the poverty guidelines under screening, counseling and preventive their own authority in non-Federallymedications. The USPSTF makes funded activities can choose to use a recommendations about preventive percentage multiple of the guidelines services for asymptomatic people— such as 125 percent or 185 percent. people without recognized signs or The poverty guidelines do not make a symptoms of the specific conditions distinction between farm and non-farm targeted by the preventive service. families or between aged and non-aged Topics can be nominated by units. (Only the Census Bureau poverty individuals, organizations, evidencethresholds have separate figures for aged based practice centers (EPC) and and non-aged one-person and twoUSPSTF members. The USPSTF will person units). consider nominations and prioritize Note that this notice does not provide topics for review based on the following definitions of such terms as ‘‘income’’ or set of criteria: Public health importance ‘‘family.’’ This is because there is (burden of suffering, potential of considerable variation in how different preventive service to reduce the programs that use the guidelines define burden); new evidence that has the rmajette on PROD1PC67 with NOTICES1 2006 POVERTY GUIDELINES FOR HAWAII—Continued VerDate Aug<31>2005 14:44 Jan 23, 2006 Jkt 208001 PO 00000 Frm 00035 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 3849 potential to change prior recommendations including inactive ones; and, potential for greatest Task Force impact (e.g., clinical controversy, practice does not reflect evidence, inappropriate timing in delivery of services). The USPSTF will prioritize topics for which there is a performance gap and the potential to significantly improve clinical practice. Individuals and organizations may nominate new topics or topics previously reviewed by the USPSTF. Basic Topic Nomination Requirements: Nominations must be no more than 500 words in length and must include the following information. Nominations may include an appendix that contains references and supporting documents (not included in word count). 1. Name of topic. 2. Rationale for consideration by the USPSTF, to include: a. Primary or secondary prevention topic (screening, counseling or preventive medication). b. Primary care relevance (aplicable clinical preventive service must be initiated in the primary care setting which can be defined as family practice, internal medicine, pediatrics or obstetrics/gynecology and provided by a primary care provider). c. Description of public health importance (burden of disease/suffering, potential of preventive service to reduce burden, including effective interventions). Citations and supporting documents are recommended. d. Summary of new evidence, if any, that has potential to affect the Task Force’s recommendation on a previously reviewed topic. Please refer to https://preventiveservices.ahrg.gov for USPSTF recommendations. Citations and supporting documents are recommended. e. Description of potential impact of USPSTF’s review of the topic, i.e., change in clinical practice, research focus, etc. DATES: Topic nominations should be submitted by February 23, 2006, in order to be considered for 2006–2008. AHRQ will not reply to submissions in response to the request for nominations, but will consider all topic nominations during the selection process. If a topic is selected for review by the USPSTF, the nominator will be notified by AHRQ. Please submit nominations to: Therese Miller, DrPH, ATTN: USPSTF Topic Nominations, Center for Primary Care, Prevention & Clinical Partnerships, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 540 Gaither Road, ADDRESSES: E:\FR\FM\24JAN1.SGM 24JAN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 15 (Tuesday, January 24, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3848-3849]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-624]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Office of the Secretary


Annual Update of the HHS Poverty Guidelines

AGENCY: Department of Health and Human Services.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: This notice provides an update of the HHS poverty guidelines 
to account for last calendar year's increase in prices as measured by 
the Consumer Price Index.

DATES: Effective Date: Date of publication, unless an office 
administering a program using the guidelines specifies a different 
effective date for that particular program.

ADDRESSES: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and 
Evaluation, Room 404E, Humphrey Building, Department of Health and 
Human Services (HHS), Washington, DC 20201.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information about how the 
guidelines are used or how income is defined in a particular program, 
contact the Federal, state, or local office that is responsible for 
that program. Contact information for two frequently requested programs 
is given below:
    For information about the Hill-Burton Uncompensated Services 
Program (free or reduced-fee health care services at certain hospitals 
and other facilities for persons meeting eligibility criteria involving 
the poverty guidelines), contact the Office of the Director, Division 
of Facilities Compliance and Recovery, Health Resources and Services 
Administration, HHS, Room 10-105, Parklawn Building, 5600 Fishers Lane, 
Rockville, Maryland 20857. To speak to a person, call (301) 443-5656. 
To receive a Hill-Burton information package, call 1-800-638-0742 (for 
callers outside Maryland) or 1-800-492-0359 (for callers in Maryland). 
You may also visit https://www.hrsa.gov/osp/dfcr/. The Division of 
Facilities Compliance and Recovery notes that as set by 42 CFR 
124.505(b), the effective date of this update of the poverty guidelines 
for facilities obligated under the Hill-Burton Uncompensated Services 
Program is sixty days from the date of this publication.
    For information about the percentage multiple of the poverty 
guidelines to be used on immigration forms such as USCIS Form I-864, 
Affidavit of Support, contact U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services 
at 1-800-375-5283 or visit https://uscis.gov/graphics/howdoi/
affsupp.htm.
    For information about the number of people in poverty or about the 
Census Bureau poverty thresholds, visit the Poverty section of the 
Census Bureau's Web site at https://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty/
poverty.html or contact the Housing and Household Economic Statistics 
Information Staff at (301) 763-3242.
    For general questions about the poverty guidelines themselves, 
contact Gordon Fisher, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning 
and Evaluation, Room 404E, Humphrey Building, Department of Health and 
Human Services, Washington, DC 20201--telephone: (202) 690-7507--or 
visit https://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Section 673(2) of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (OBRA) of 
1981 (42 U.S.C. 9902(2)) requires the Secretary of the Department of 
Health and Human Services to update, at least annually, the poverty 
guidelines, which shall be used as an eligibility criterion for the 
Community Services Block Grant program. The poverty guidelines also are 
used as an eligibility criterion by a number of other Federal programs. 
The poverty guidelines issued here are a simplified version of the 
poverty thresholds that the Census Bureau uses to prepare its estimates 
of the number of individuals and families in poverty.
    As required by law, this update is accomplished by increasing the 
latest published Census Bureau poverty thresholds by the relevant 
percentage change in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers 
(CPI-U). The guidelines in this 2006 notice reflect the 3.4 percent 
price increase between calendar years 2004 and 2005. After this 
inflation adjustment, the guidelines are rounded and adjusted to 
standardize the differences between family sizes. The same calculation 
procedure was used this year as in previous years. (Note that these 
2006 guidelines are roughly equal to the poverty thresholds for 
calendar year 2005 which the Census Bureau expects to publish in final 
form in August 2006.)

2006 Poverty Guidelines for the 48 Contiguous States and the District of
                                Columbia
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                              Poverty
                 Persons in family unit                      guideline
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.......................................................          $9,800
2.......................................................          13,200
3.......................................................          16,600
4.......................................................          20,000
5.......................................................          23,400
6.......................................................          26,800
7.......................................................          30,200
8.......................................................          33,600
------------------------------------------------------------------------
For family units with more than 8 persons, add $3,400 for each
  additional person.


                   2006 Poverty Guidelines for Alaska
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                              Poverty
                 Persons in family unit                      guideline
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.......................................................         $12,250
2.......................................................          16,500
3.......................................................          20,750
4.......................................................          25,000
5.......................................................          29,250
6.......................................................          33,500
7.......................................................          37,750
8.......................................................          42,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------
For family units with more than 8 persons, add $4,250 for each
  additional person.


                   2006 Poverty Guidelines for Hawaii
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                              Poverty
                 Persons in family unit                      guideline
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.......................................................         $11,270
2.......................................................          15,180
3.......................................................          19,090
4.......................................................          23,000
5.......................................................          26,910
6.......................................................          30,820
7.......................................................          34,730

[[Page 3849]]

 
8.......................................................          38,640
------------------------------------------------------------------------
For family units with more than 8 persons, add $3,910 for each
  additional person.

    Separate poverty guideline figures for Alaska and Hawaii reflect 
Office of Economic Opportunity administrative practice beginning in the 
1966-1970 period. (Note that the Census Bureau poverty thresholds--the 
version of the poverty measure used for statistical purposes--have 
never had separate figures for Alaska and Hawaii). The poverty 
guidelines are not defined for Puerto Rico or other outlying 
jurisdictions. In cases in which a Federal program using the poverty 
guidelines serves any of those jurisdictions, the Federal office that 
administers the program is responsible for deciding whether to use the 
contiguous-states-and-DC guidelines for those jurisdictions or to 
follow some other procedure.
    Due to confusing legislative language dating back to 1972, the 
poverty guidelines have sometimes been mistakenly referred to as the 
``OMB'' (Office of Management and Budget) poverty guidelines or poverty 
line. In fact, OMB has never issued the guidelines; the guidelines are 
issued each year by the Department of Health and Human Services. The 
poverty guidelines may be formally referenced as ``the poverty 
guidelines updated periodically in the Federal Register by the U.S. 
Department of Health and Human Services under the authority of 42 
U.S.C. 9902(2).''
    Some programs use a percentage multiple of the guidelines (for 
example, 125 percent or 185 percent of the guidelines), as noted in 
relevant authorizing legislation or program regulations. Non-Federal 
organizations that use the poverty guidelines under their own authority 
in non-Federally-funded activities can choose to use a percentage 
multiple of the guidelines such as 125 percent or 185 percent.
    The poverty guidelines do not make a distinction between farm and 
non-farm families or between aged and non-aged units. (Only the Census 
Bureau poverty thresholds have separate figures for aged and non-aged 
one-person and two-person units).
    Note that this notice does not provide definitions of such terms as 
``income'' or ``family.'' This is because there is considerable 
variation in how different programs that use the guidelines define 
these terms, traceable to the different laws and regulations that 
govern the various programs. Therefore, questions about how a 
particular program applies the poverty guidelines (e.g., Is income 
before or after taxes? Should a particular type of income be counted? 
Should a particular person be counted in the family or household unit?) 
should be directed to the organization that administers the program.

    Dated: January 18, 2006.
Michael O. Leavitt,
Secretary of Health and Human Services.
[FR Doc. 06-624 Filed 1-20-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4151-05-P

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