[Federal Register: January 28, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 18)]
[Notices]
[Page 4129-4130]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr28ja05-83]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
[CMS-4079-N]
Medicare Program: Re-Chartering of the Advisory Panel on Medicare
Education (APME) and Notice of the APME Meeting--February 24, 2005
AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), HHS.
ACTION: Notice of meeting.
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SUMMARY: This notice announces the renewal of the charter of the
Advisory Panel on Medicare Education (the Panel). The Panel advises and
makes recommendations to the Secretary of the Department of Health and
Human Services and the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare &
Medicaid Services on opportunities to enhance the effectiveness of
consumer education strategies concerning the Medicare program. The
charter renewal was signed by the Secretary on January 14, 2005. The
charter will terminate on January 14, 2007, unless renewed by the
Secretary.
In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C.
Appendix 2, section 10(a) (Pub. L. 92-463), this notice also announces
a meeting of the Panel on February 24, 2005. This meeting is open to
the public.
DATES: The meeting is scheduled for February 24, 2005 from 9 a.m. to 4
p.m., e.s.t.
Deadline for Presentations and Comments: February 17, 2005, 12
noon, e.s.t.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Loews L'Enfant Plaza Hotel,
480 L'Enfant Plaza, Washington, DC 20024, (202) 484-1000.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lynne Johnson, Health Insurance
Specialist, Division of Partnership Development, Center for Beneficiary
[[Page 4130]]
Choices, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 7500 Security
Boulevard, Mail stop S2-23-05, Baltimore, MD 21244-1850, (410) 786-
0090. Please refer to the CMS Advisory Committees' Information Line (1-
877-449-5659 toll free)/(410-786-9379 local) or the Internet (http://www.cms.hhs.gov/faca/apme/default.asp
) for additional information and
updates on committee activities, or contact Ms. Johnson via e-mail at
ljohnson3@cms.hhs.gov.
Press inquiries are handled through the CMS Press Office at (202)
690-6145.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 222 of the Public Health Service Act
(42 U.S.C. 217a), as amended, grants to the Secretary of the Department
of Health and Human Services (the Secretary) the authority to establish
an advisory panel if the Secretary finds the panel necessary and in the
public interest. The Secretary signed the charter establishing the
Advisory Panel on Medicare Education (the Panel) on January 21, 1999
and approved the renewal of the charter on January 14, 2005. The Panel
advises and makes recommendations to the Secretary and the
Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on
opportunities to enhance the effectiveness of consumer education
strategies concerning the Medicare program.
The goals of the Panel are as follows:
To develop and implement a national Medicare education
program that describes the options for selecting a health plan under
Medicare.
To enhance the Federal government's effectiveness in
informing the Medicare consumer, including the appropriate use of
public-private partnerships.
To expand outreach to vulnerable and underserved
communities, including racial and ethnic minorities, in the context of
a national Medicare education program.
To assemble an information base of best practices for
helping consumers evaluate health plan options and build a community
infrastructure for information, counseling, and assistance.
The current members of the Panel are: Dr. Drew E. Altman, President
and Chief Executive Officer, Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation; James
L. Bildner, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, New Horizons
Partners, LLC; Dr. Jane Delgado, Chief Executive Officer, National
Alliance For Hispanic Health; Clayton Fong, President and Chief
Executive Officer, National Asian Pacific Center on Aging; Thomas Hall,
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Cardio-Kinetics, Inc.; Bobby
Jindal; David Knutson, Director, Health System Studies, Park Nicollet
Institute for Research and Education; Dr. David Lansky, Director,
Health Program, Markle Foundation; Donald J. Lott, Executive Director,
Indian Family Health Clinic; Dr. Frank I. Luntz, President and Chief
Executive Officer, Luntz Research Companies; Dr. Daniel Lyons, Senior
Vice President, Government Programs, Independence Blue Cross; Katherine
Metzger, Director, Medicare and Medicaid Programs, Fallon Community
Health Plan; Dr. Keith Mueller, Professor and Section Head, Health
Services Research and Rural Health Policy, University of Nebraska;
David Null, Financial Advisor, Merrill Lynch; Lee Partridge, Senior
Health Policy Advisor, National Partnership for Women and Families; Dr.
Marlon Priest, Professor of Emergency Medicine, University of Alabama
at Birmingham; Susan O. Raetzman, Associate Director, Public Policy
Institute, AARP; Catherine Valenti, Chairperson and Chief Executive
Officer, Caring Voice Coalition; and Grant Wedner, Senior Director, New
Services Department, WebMD.
The agenda for the February 24, 2005 meeting will include the
following:
Recap of the previous (November 30, 2004) meeting.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services update.
Medicare Modernization Act: education and outreach
strategies.
Public comment.
Listening session with CMS leadership.
Next steps.
Individuals or organizations that wish to make a 5-minute oral
presentation on an agenda topic should submit a written copy of the
oral presentation to Lynne Johnson, Health Insurance Specialist,
Division of Partnership Development, Center for Beneficiary Choices,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 7500 Security Boulevard, Mail
stop S2-23-05, Baltimore, MD 21244-1850 or by e-mail at
ljohnson3@cms.hhs.gov no later than 12 noon, e.s.t., February 17, 2005.
The number of oral presentations may be limited by the time available.
Individuals not wishing to make a presentation may submit written
comments to Ms. Johnson by 12 noon, e.s.t., February 17, 2005. The
meeting is open to the public, but attendance is limited to the space
available.
Special Accommodation: Individuals requiring sign language
interpretation or other special accommodations should contact Ms.
Johnson at least 15 days before the meeting.
Authority: Sec. 222 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C.
217a) and sec. 10(a) of Pub. L. 92-463 (5 U.S.C. App. 2, sec. 10(a)
and 41 CFR 102-3).
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program No. 93.733,
Medicare--Hospital Insurance Program; and Program No. 93.774,
Medicare--Supplementary Medical Insurance Program)
Dated: January 19, 2005.
Mark B. McClellan,
Administrator, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
[FR Doc. 05-1504 Filed 1-27-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-01-P