Annual Update of the HHS Poverty Guidelines, 3315-3316 [2022-01166]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 14 / Friday, January 21, 2022 / Notices detailed agenda and meeting registration link will be available on the NACCD meeting website https://www.phe.gov/ Preparedness/legal/boards/naccd/ Pages/default.aspx. Members of the public may attend the meeting via a toll-free phone number or Zoom teleconference, which requires pre-registration. The meeting link to pre-register will be posted on https://www.phe.gov/Preparedness/ legal/boards/naccd/Pages/default.aspx. Members of the public may provide written comments or submit questions for consideration by the NACCD at any time via email to NACCD@hhs.gov. Members of the public are also encouraged to provide comments after the meeting. ADDRESSES: FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Zhoowan Jackson, NACCD Designated Federal Officer, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Washington, DC; 202–205–4217, NACCD@hhs.gov. The NACCD invites those who are involved in or represent a relevant industry, academia, health profession, health care consumer organization, or state, Tribal, territorial or local government to request up to four minutes to address the committee in person via Zoom. Requests to provide remarks to the NACCD during the public meeting must be sent to NACCD@hhs.gov at least 15 days prior to the meeting along with a brief description of the topic. We would specifically like to request inputs from the public on challenges, opportunities, and strategic priorities for national public health and medical preparedness, response and recovery specific to the needs of children and their families in disasters. Presenters who are selected for the public meeting will have audio only for up to four minutes during the meeting. Slides, documents, and other presentation material sent along with the request to speak will be provided to the committee members separately. Please indicate additionally whether the presenter will be willing to take questions from the committee members (at their discretion) immediately following their presentation (for up to four additional minutes). jspears on DSK121TN23PROD with NOTICES1 SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Dawn O’Connell, Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response. [FR Doc. 2022–01161 Filed 1–20–22; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4150–37–P VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:39 Jan 20, 2022 Jkt 256001 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: January 12, 2022 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 404E.3, 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/gethealth-care/affordable/hill-burton/ index.html. SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00038 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 3315 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 2022 notice reflect the 4.7 percent price increase between calendar years 2020 and 2021. 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-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 2022 guidelines are roughly equal to the poverty thresholds for calendar year 2021, which the Census Bureau expects to publish in final form in September 2022. 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. E:\FR\FM\21JAN1.SGM 21JAN1 3316 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 14 / Friday, January 21, 2022 / Notices 2022 POVERTY GUIDELINES FOR THE administers the program is generally 48 CONTIGUOUS STATES AND THE responsible for deciding whether to use the contiguous-states-and-DC guidelines DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Poverty guideline Persons in family/household 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. $13,590 18,310 23,030 27,750 32,470 37,190 41,910 46,630 For families/households with more than 8 persons, add $4,720 for each additional person. 2022 POVERTY GUIDELINES FOR ALASKA Poverty guideline Persons in family/household 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. $16,990 22,890 28,790 34,690 40,590 46,490 52,390 58,290 For families/households with more than 8 persons, add $5,900 for each additional person. 2022 POVERTY GUIDELINES FOR HAWAII Poverty guideline Persons in family/household jspears on DSK121TN23PROD with NOTICES1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. $15,630 21,060 26,490 31,920 37,350 42,780 48,210 53,640 For families/households with more than 8 persons, add $5,430 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 VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:39 Jan 20, 2022 Jkt 256001 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-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 18, 2022. Xavier Becerra, Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services. [FR Doc. 2022–01166 Filed 1–20–22; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4150–05–P PO 00000 Frm 00039 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Meeting of the National Vaccine Advisory Committee Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, Office of the Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services. ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: As stipulated by the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is hereby giving notice that the National Vaccine Advisory Committee (NVAC) will hold a virtual meeting. The meeting will be open to the public and public comment will be heard during the meeting. DATES: The meeting will be held February 10–11, 2022. The confirmed meeting times and agenda will be posted on the NVAC website at https:// www.hhs.gov/nvpo/nvac/meetings/ index.html as soon as they become available. SUMMARY: Instructions regarding attending this meeting will be posted online at: https://www.hhs.gov/nvpo/ nvac/meetings/ at least one week prior to the meeting. Preregistration is required for those who wish to attend the meeting or participate in public comment. Please register at https://www.hhs.gov/nvpo/nvac/ meetings/. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ann Aikin, Acting Designated Federal Officer, at the Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Mary E. Switzer Building, Room L618, 330 C Street SW, Washington, DC 20024. Email: nvac@ hhs.gov. ADDRESSES: Pursuant to Section 2101 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300aa–1), the Secretary of HHS was mandated to establish the National Vaccine Program to achieve optimal prevention of human infectious diseases through immunization and to achieve optimal prevention against adverse reactions to vaccines. The NVAC was established to provide advice and make recommendations to the Director of the National Vaccine Program on matters related to the Program’s responsibilities. The Assistant Secretary for Health serves as Director of the National Vaccine Program. The NVAC celebrates 35 years and will kick off the meeting reflecting on accomplishments and outling SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: E:\FR\FM\21JAN1.SGM 21JAN1

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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 14 (Friday, January 21, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3315-3316]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-01166]

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

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: January 12, 2022 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 404E.3, 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 2022 notice reflect the 4.7 percent
price increase between calendar years 2020 and 2021. 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 2022 guidelines are
roughly equal to the poverty thresholds for calendar year 2021, which
the Census Bureau expects to publish in final form in September 2022.
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.

[[Page 3316]]

2022 Poverty Guidelines for the 48 Contiguous States and the District of
Columbia
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Poverty
Persons in family/household guideline
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1........................................................... $13,590
2........................................................... 18,310
3........................................................... 23,030
4........................................................... 27,750
5........................................................... 32,470
6........................................................... 37,190
7........................................................... 41,910
8........................................................... 46,630
------------------------------------------------------------------------

For families/households with more than 8 persons, add $4,720 for
each additional person.

2022 Poverty Guidelines for Alaska
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Poverty
Persons in family/household guideline
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1........................................................... $16,990
2........................................................... 22,890
3........................................................... 28,790
4........................................................... 34,690
5........................................................... 40,590
6........................................................... 46,490
7........................................................... 52,390
8........................................................... 58,290
------------------------------------------------------------------------

For families/households with more than 8 persons, add $5,900 for
each additional person.

2022 Poverty Guidelines for Hawaii
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Poverty
Persons in family/household guideline
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1........................................................... $15,630
2........................................................... 21,060
3........................................................... 26,490
4........................................................... 31,920
5........................................................... 37,350
6........................................................... 42,780
7........................................................... 48,210
8........................................................... 53,640
------------------------------------------------------------------------

For families/households with more than 8 persons, add $5,430 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 18, 2022.
Xavier Becerra,
Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services.
[FR Doc. 2022-01166 Filed 1-20-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4150-05-P

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