Annual Update of the HHS Poverty Guidelines, 3060-3061 [2020-00858]

Download as PDF 3060 Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 12 / Friday, January 17, 2020 / Notices TOTAL ESTIMATED ANNUALIZED BURDEN—HOURS—Continued Number of respondents Form name Program Implementation Semi-Structured Interview ........... 28 Total .............................................................................. 17,256 Maria G. Button, Director, Executive Secretariat. [FR Doc. 2020–00736 Filed 1–16–20; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4165–15–P 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. AGENCY: This notice provides an update of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) poverty guidelines to account for last calendar year’s increase in prices as measured by the Consumer Price Index. DATES: Applicable Date: January 14, 2020 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, 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. For information about poverty figures for immigration forms, the Hill-Burton Uncompensated Services Program, and the number of people in poverty, use the specific telephone numbers and addresses given below. For general questions about the poverty guidelines themselves, contact Kendall Swenson, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, Room 422F.5, Humphrey Building, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, DC 20201—telephone: (202) 795–7309—or visit https://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/. For information about the percentage multiple of the poverty guidelines to be used on immigration forms such as lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:20 Jan 16, 2020 Jkt 250001 Number of responses per respondent 1 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 the poverty guidelines at least annually, adjusting them on the basis of the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI–U). The poverty guidelines are used as an eligibility criterion by Medicaid and 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 2020 notice reflect the 1.8 percent price increase between calendar years 2018 and 2019. After this inflation adjustment, the guidelines are rounded and adjusted to standardize the differences between family sizes. In rare Frm 00050 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 28 Average burden per response (in hours) Total burden hours 1.00 51,712 USCIS Form I–864, Affidavit of Support, contact U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services at 1–800–375– 5283. You also may visit https:// www.uscis.gov/i-864. 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 Health Resources and Services Administration Information Center at 1–800–638–0742. You also may visit https://www.hrsa.gov/gethealth-care/affordable/hill-burton/ index.html. For information about the number of people in poverty, visit the Poverty section of the Census Bureau’s website at https://www.census.gov/topics/ income-poverty/poverty.html or contact the Census Bureau’s Customer Service Center at 1–800–923–8282 (toll-free) or visit https://ask.census.gov for further information. PO 00000 Total responses 28 9,842 circumstances, the rounding and standardizing adjustments in the formula result in small decreases in the poverty guidelines for some household sizes even when the inflation factor is not negative. In cases where the year-toyear change in inflation is not negative and the rounding and standardizing adjustments in the formula result in reductions to the guidelines from the previous year for some household sizes, the guidelines for the affected household sizes are fixed at the prior year’s guidelines. As in prior years, these 2020 guidelines are roughly equal to the poverty thresholds for calendar year 2019 which the Census Bureau expects to publish in final form in September 2020. The poverty guidelines continue to be derived from the Census Bureau’s current official poverty thresholds; they are not derived from the Census Bureau’s Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM). The following guideline figures represent annual income. 2020 POVERTY GUIDELINES FOR THE 48 CONTIGUOUS STATES AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Persons in family/household 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. Poverty guideline $12,760 17,240 21,720 26,200 30,680 35,160 39,640 44,120 For families/households with more than 8 persons, add $4,480 for each additional person. 2020 POVERTY GUIDELINES FOR ALASKA Persons in family/household 1 2 3 4 5 .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. E:\FR\FM\17JAN1.SGM 17JAN1 Poverty guideline $15,950 21,550 27,150 32,750 38,350 Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 12 / Friday, January 17, 2020 / Notices 2020 POVERTY GUIDELINES FOR ALASKA—Continued Poverty guideline Persons in family/household 6 .................................................. 7 .................................................. 8 .................................................. 43,950 49,550 55,150 For families/households with more than 8 persons, add $5,600 for each additional person. 2020 POVERTY GUIDELINES FOR HAWAII Poverty guideline Persons in family/household lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with NOTICES 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. $14,680 19,830 24,980 30,130 35,280 40,430 45,580 50,730 For families/households with more than 8 persons, add $5,150 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 generally 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 sometimes have 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 VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:20 Jan 16, 2020 Jkt 250001 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 Federal 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-federallyfunded activities also may choose to use a percentage multiple of the guidelines. 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 twoperson units.) This notice does not provide definitions of such terms as ‘‘income’’ or ‘‘family’’ as there is considerable variation of these terms among programs that use the poverty guidelines. The legislation or regulations governing each program define these terms and determine how the program applies the poverty guidelines. In cases where legislation or regulations do not establish these definitions, the entity that administers or funds the program is responsible to define such terms as ‘‘income’’ and ‘‘family.’’ Therefore questions such as net or gross income, counted or excluded income, or household size should be directed to the entity that administers or funds the program. Dated: January 14, 2020. Alex M. Azar II, Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services. [FR Doc. 2020–00858 Filed 1–15–20; 4:15 pm] BILLING CODE 4150–05–P DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES [Document Identifier: OS–0990–0001] Agency Information Collection Request; 30-Day Public Comment Request Office of the Secretary, HHS. Notice. AGENCY: ACTION: In compliance with the requirement of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Office of the SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00051 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 3061 Secretary (OS), Department of Health and Human Services, is publishing the following summary of a proposed collection for public comment. DATES: Comments on the ICR must be received on or before February 18, 2020. ADDRESSES: Submit your comments to OIRA_submission@omb.eop.gov or via facsimile to (202) 395–5806. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sherrette Funn, Sherrette.Funn@hhs.gov or (202) 795–7714. When submitting comments or requesting information, please include the document identifier 0990–0001–30D and project title for reference. Interested persons are invited to send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including any of the following subjects: (1) The necessity and utility of the proposed information collection for the proper performance of the agency’s functions; (2) the accuracy of the estimated burden; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology to minimize the information collection burden. Information Collection Request Title: Application for waiver of the two- year foreign residence requirement of the Exchange Visitor Program. OMB No.: 0990–0001. Abstract: The HHS program deals with both research and clinical care waivers. Applicant institutions apply to this Department to request a waiver on behalf of research scientists or foreign medical graduates to work as clinicians in HHS designated health shortage areas doing primary care in medical facilities. The instructions request a copy of Form G–28 from applicant institutions represented by legal counsel outside of the applying institution. United States Department of Justice Form G–28 ascertains that legal counsel represents both the applicant organization and the exchange visitor. Need and Proposed Use of the Information: Required as part of the application process to collect basic information such as name, address, family status, sponsor and current visa information. Likely Respondents: Research scientists and research facilities. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: E:\FR\FM\17JAN1.SGM 17JAN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 12 (Friday, January 17, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3060-3061]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-00858]

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

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 Department of Health and
Human Services (HHS) poverty guidelines to account for last calendar
year's increase in prices as measured by the Consumer Price Index.

DATES: Applicable Date: January 14, 2020 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, 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. For information about poverty figures for immigration
forms, the Hill-Burton Uncompensated Services Program, and the number
of people in poverty, use the specific telephone numbers and addresses
given below.
For general questions about the poverty guidelines themselves,
contact Kendall Swenson, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning
and Evaluation, Room 422F.5, Humphrey Building, Department of Health
and Human Services, Washington, DC 20201--telephone: (202) 795-7309--or
visit https://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/.
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. You also may visit https://www.uscis.gov/i-864.
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 Health Resources and Services
Administration Information Center at 1-800-638-0742. You also may visit
https://www.hrsa.gov/get-health-care/affordable/hill-burton/.
For information about the number of people in poverty, visit the
Poverty section of the Census Bureau's website at https://www.census.gov/topics/income-poverty/poverty.html or contact the Census
Bureau's Customer Service Center at 1-800-923-8282 (toll-free) or visit
https://ask.census.gov for further information.

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 the poverty guidelines at least
annually, adjusting them on the basis of the Consumer Price Index for
All Urban Consumers (CPI-U). The poverty guidelines are used as an
eligibility criterion by Medicaid and 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 2020 notice reflect the 1.8 percent
price increase between calendar years 2018 and 2019. After this
inflation adjustment, the guidelines are rounded and adjusted to
standardize the differences between family sizes. In rare
circumstances, the rounding and standardizing adjustments in the
formula result in small decreases in the poverty guidelines for some
household sizes even when the inflation factor is not negative. In
cases where the year-to-year change in inflation is not negative and
the rounding and standardizing adjustments in the formula result in
reductions to the guidelines from the previous year for some household
sizes, the guidelines for the affected household sizes are fixed at the
prior year's guidelines. As in prior years, these 2020 guidelines are
roughly equal to the poverty thresholds for calendar year 2019 which
the Census Bureau expects to publish in final form in September 2020.
The poverty guidelines continue to be derived from the Census
Bureau's current official poverty thresholds; they are not derived from
the Census Bureau's Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM).
The following guideline figures represent annual income.

2020 Poverty Guidelines for the 48 Contiguous States and the District of
Columbia
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Poverty
Persons in family/household guideline
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1........................................................... $12,760
2........................................................... 17,240
3........................................................... 21,720
4........................................................... 26,200
5........................................................... 30,680
6........................................................... 35,160
7........................................................... 39,640
8........................................................... 44,120
------------------------------------------------------------------------

For families/households with more than 8 persons, add $4,480 for
each additional person.

2020 Poverty Guidelines for Alaska
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Poverty
Persons in family/household guideline
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1........................................................... $15,950
2........................................................... 21,550
3........................................................... 27,150
4........................................................... 32,750
5........................................................... 38,350

[[Page 3061]]

6........................................................... 43,950
7........................................................... 49,550
8........................................................... 55,150
------------------------------------------------------------------------

For families/households with more than 8 persons, add $5,600 for
each additional person.

2020 Poverty Guidelines for Hawaii
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Poverty
Persons in family/household guideline
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1........................................................... $14,680
2........................................................... 19,830
3........................................................... 24,980
4........................................................... 30,130
5........................................................... 35,280
6........................................................... 40,430
7........................................................... 45,580
8........................................................... 50,730
------------------------------------------------------------------------

For families/households with more than 8 persons, add $5,150 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 generally 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 sometimes have 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 Federal 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 also may choose to use a percentage
multiple of the guidelines.
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.)
This notice does not provide definitions of such terms as
``income'' or ``family'' as there is considerable variation of these
terms among programs that use the poverty guidelines. The legislation
or regulations governing each program define these terms and determine
how the program applies the poverty guidelines. In cases where
legislation or regulations do not establish these definitions, the
entity that administers or funds the program is responsible to define
such terms as ``income'' and ``family.'' Therefore questions such as
net or gross income, counted or excluded income, or household size
should be directed to the entity that administers or funds the program.

Dated: January 14, 2020.
Alex M. Azar II,
Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services.
[FR Doc. 2020-00858 Filed 1-15-20; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 4150-05-P

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