[Federal Register: September 2, 1997 (Volume 62, Number 169)] [Notices] [Page 46384-46385] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT Federal Employees Health Benefits Program; Medically Underserved Areas for 1998 AGENCY: Office of Personal Management. ACTION: Notice of Medically Underserved Areas for 1998. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has completed its annual calculation of the States that qualify as Medically Underserved Areas under the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program for the calendar year 1998. This is necessary to comply with a provision of FEHB law that mandates special consideration for enrollees of certain FEHB plans who receive covered health services in states with critical shortages of primary care physicians. Accordingly, for calendar year 1998, OPM's calculations show that the following States are Medically Underserved Areas under the FEHB Program: Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, South Carolina, South Dakota, West Virginia, and Wyoming. North Dakota has been removed from the list, with no new additions for 1998. EFFECTIVE DATE: Janaury 1, 1998. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kenneth A. Lease, 202-606-0004. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: FEHB law [5 U.S.C. 8902(m)(2)] mandates special consideration for enrollees of certain FEHB plans who receive covered health services in States with critical shortages of primary care physicians. Such States are designated as Medically Underserved Areas for purposes of the FEHB Program, and the law requires payment to all qualified providers in the States. FEHB regulations (5 CFR 890.701) require OPM to make an annual calculation of the States that qualify as Medically Underserved Areas for the next calendar year by comparing the latest Department of Health and Human Service State-by-State population counts on primary medical care manpower shortage areas with U.S. Census figures on State resident population. Office of Personnel Management. James B. King, Director. [[Page 46385]] FEHB Medically Underserved Areas for Calendar Year 1998 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Commerce State HHS total resident FEHB Note population \1\ population \2\ percentage ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------\3\---------------------------- Alabama................................... 1,281,728 4,273,000 29.996 MUA Alaska.................................... 127,683 607,000 21.035 ..................... Arizona................................... 351,410 4,428,000 7.936 ..................... Arkansas.................................. 576,317 2,510,000 22.961 ..................... California................................ 3,988,692 31,878,000 12.512 ..................... Colorado.................................. 447,034 3,823,000 11.693 ..................... Connecticut............................... 346,839 3,274,000 10.594 ..................... Delaware.................................. 67,260 725,000 9.277 ..................... Florida................................... 1,673,828 14,400,000 11.624 ..................... Georgia................................... 1,701,421 7,353,000 23.139 ..................... Hawaii.................................... 62,095 1,184,000 5.245 ..................... Idaho..................................... 264,791 1,189,000 22.270 ..................... Illinois.................................. 1,682,193 11,847,000 14.199 ..................... Indiana................................... 921,251 5,841,000 15.772 ..................... Iowa...................................... 369,413 2,852,000 12.953 ..................... Kansas.................................... 377,620 2,572,000 14.682 ..................... Kentucky.................................. 926,320 3,884,000 23.850 ..................... Louisiana................................. 1,688,346 4,351,000 38.804 MUA Maine..................................... 176,664 1,243,000 14.213 ..................... Maryland.................................. 275,968 5,072,000 5.441 ..................... Massachusetts............................. 775,910 6,092,000 12.737 ..................... Michigan.................................. 1,947,059 9,594,000 20.295 ..................... Minnesota................................. 319,444 4,658,000 6.858 ..................... Mississippi............................... 1,251,220 2,716,000 46.068 MUA Missouri.................................. 1,055,770 5,359,000 19.701 ..................... Montana................................... 156,131 879,000 17.762 ..................... Nebraska.................................. 258,759 1,652,000 15.663 ..................... Nevada.................................... 296,287 1,603,000 18.483 ..................... New Hampshire............................. 117,178 1,162,000 10.084 ..................... New Jersey................................ 875,494 7,988,000 10.960 ..................... New Mexico................................ 546,992 1,713,000 31.932 MUA New York.................................. 3,646,561 18,185,000 20.053 ..................... North Carolina............................ 1,729,038 7,323,000 23.611 ..................... North Dakota.............................. 155,435 644,000 24.136 ..................... Ohio...................................... 1,436,668 11,173,000 12.858 ..................... Oklahoma.................................. 679,457 3,301,000 20.583 ..................... Oregon.................................... 423,306 3,204,000 13.212 ..................... Pennsylvania.............................. 1,121,983 12,056,000 9.306 ..................... Rhode Island.............................. 171,220 990,000 17.295 ..................... South Carolina............................ 1,019,483 3,699,000 27.561 MUA South Dakota.............................. 205,160 732,000 28.027 MUA Tennessee................................. 1,045,326 5,320,000 19.649 ..................... Texas..................................... 3,656,649 19,128,000 19.117 ..................... Utah...................................... 371,171 2,000,000 18.559 ..................... Vermont................................... 71,177 589,000 12.084 ..................... Virginia.................................. 766,745 6,675,000 11.487 ..................... Washington................................ 944,224 5,533,000 17.065 ..................... West Virginia............................. 530,009 1,226,000 29.026 MUA Wisconsin................................. 996,704 5,160,000 19.316 ..................... Wyoming................................... 129,546 481,000 26.933 MUA ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- \1\ From the ``Total Population'' column of the Department of Health and Human Services report entitled ``Table 3. Health Professional Shortage Areas, Designated HPSA Summary Listing, Primary Medical Care HPSAs, As of March 31, 1997.'' HHS contact for copy of report: Lisa Steinbruckner, 301-594-0816 \2\ From the most recent year column of the Department of Commerce Report entitled ``Table 3. Rankings of State Population Estimates and Components of Change: July 1, 1995 to July 1, 1996.'' Commerce contact for report: Karen Jones, 301-457-2435 \3\ Computation Formula for this column = the HHS number divided by the Commerce number. Note: FEHB percentage equal to greater than 25%=MUA=medically underserved area. [FR Doc. 97-23222 Filed 8-29-97; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6325-01-M