E8-2790. Medicare Program; Announcement of Meeting of the Advisory Panel on Medicare Education; March 11, 2008

AGENCY:

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), HHS.

ACTION:

Notice of meeting.

SUMMARY:

In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, this notice announces a meeting of Advisory Panel on Medicare Education (the Panel). The Panel advises and makes recommendations to the Secretary 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. This meeting is open to the public.

DATES:

Meeting Date: March 11, 2008 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., e.d.t.

Deadline for Meeting Registration, Presentations, and Comments: March 4, 2008, 12 noon, e.s.t.

Deadline for Requesting Special Accommodations: March 4, 2008, 12 noon, e.s.t.

ADDRESSES:

Meeting Location: Hilton Washington Embassy Row, 2015 Massachusetts Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20036, [phone].

Meeting Registration, Presentations, and Written Comments: Lynne Johnson, Designated Federal Official, Division of Forum and Conference Development, Office of External Affairs, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 7500 Security Boulevard, Mailstop S1-05-06, Baltimore, MD 21244-1850 or contact Ms. Johnson via e-mail at [e-mail].

Registration: The meeting is open to the public, but attendance is limited to the space available. Persons wishing to attend this meeting must register by contacting Lynne Johnson at the address listed in the ADDRESSES section of this notice or by telephone at [phone] by date listed in the DATES section of this section.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Lynne Johnson, [phone]. 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/​04_​APME.asp) for additional information and updates on committee activities. Press inquiries are handled through the CMS Press Office at [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Section 9(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services (the Secretary) to establish an advisory panel if the Secretary determines that the panel is “in the public interest in connection with the performance of duties imposed * * * by law.” Such duties are imposed by section 1804 of the Social Security Act (the Act), requiring the Secretary to provide informational materials to Medicare beneficiaries about the Medicare program, and section 1851(d) of the Act, requiring the Secretary to provide for “activities * * * to broadly disseminate information to Medicare beneficiaries on the coverage options provided under [Medicare Advantage] in order to promote an active, informed selection among such options.”

The Panel is also authorized by 1114(f) of the Act (42 U.S.C. 1311(f)) and section 222 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 217a). The Secretary signed the charter establishing this Panel on January 21, 1999 and approved the renewal of the charter on November 14, 2006. The establishment of the charter and the renewal of the charter were announced in the February 17, 1999 Federal Register (64 FR 7899), and the March 23, 2007 Federal Register (72 FR 13796), respectively. The Panel advises and makes recommendations to the Secretary 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 goals of the Panel are as follows:

• To provide recommendations on the development and implementation of the national Medicare education program that describes the options for selecting a health plan and prescription drug benefits under Medicare.
• To enhance the Federal government's effectiveness in informing the Medicare consumer, including the appropriate use of public-private partnerships.
• To provide recommendations on how 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: Anita B. Boles, Executive Director, Society for the Arts in Healthcare; Gwendolyn T. Bronson, SHINE/SHIP Counselor, Massachusetts SHINE Program; Dr. Yanira Cruz, President and Chief Executive Officer, National Hispanic Council on Aging; Clayton Fong, President and Chief Executive Officer, National Asian Pacific Center on Aging; Nan Kirsten-Forte, Executive Vice President, Consumer Services, WebMD; Dr. Jessie C. Gruman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Center for the Advancement of Health; Dr. David Lansky, Director, Health Program, Markle Foundation; Dr. Daniel Lyons, Senior Vice President, Government Programs, Independence Blue Cross; Dr. Frank B. McArdle, Manager, Hewitt Research Office, Hewitt Associates; Traci McClellan, J.D., Executive Director, National Indian Council on Aging; Dr. Keith Mueller, Professor and Section Head, Health Services Research and Rural Health Policy, University of Nebraska; Lee Partridge, Senior Health Policy Advisor, National Partnership for Women and Families; Rebecca Snead, Executive Vice President/Chief Executive Officer, National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations; William A. Steel, Past President, The National Grange; Marvin Tuttle, Jr., CAE, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, Financial Planning Association; Catherine Valenti, Consultant, American Academy of HIV Medicine; and Grant Wedner, Vice President, Partnerships and Corporate Development, Daily Strength, Inc.

The agenda for the March 11, 2008 meeting will include the following:

• Recap of the previous (December 4, 2007) meeting.
• Medicare Enrollment, Outreach, Education, and Partnership Activities.
• APME Subcommittee Report.
• 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 at the address listed in the ADDRESSES section of this notice by the date listed in the DATES section of this notice. 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 at the address listed in the ADDRESSES section of this notice by the date listed in the DATES section of this notice.

Individuals requiring sign language interpretation or other special accommodations should contact Ms. Johnson at the address listed in the ADDRESSES section of this notice by the date listed in the DATES section of this notice.

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: February 7, 2008.

Kerry Weems,

Acting Administrator, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.