E9-6772. Medicare Program; Request for Nominations for Members for the Medicare Evidence Development & Coverage Advisory Committee

AGENCY:

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

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

This notice announces a request for nominations for consideration for membership on the Medicare Evidence Development & Coverage Advisory Committee (MEDCAC). Among other things, the MEDCAC advises the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (the Secretary) and the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on whether medical items and services are “reasonable and necessary” and therefore eligible for coverage under Title XVIII of the Social Security Act.

We are requesting nominations for both voting and nonvoting members to serve on the MEDCAC. Nominees are selected based upon their individual qualifications and not as representatives of professional associations or societies. We have a special interest in ensuring that women, minority groups, and physically challenged individuals are adequately represented on the MEDCAC. Therefore, we encourage nominations of qualified candidates from these groups.

The MEDCAC reviews and evaluates medical literature, reviews technology assessments, and examines data and information on the effectiveness and appropriateness of medical items and services that are covered or eligible for coverage under Medicare.

DATES:

Nominations for membership will be considered if postmarked by April 27, 2009 and mailed to the contact person specified in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this notice to the designated address, as provided in the ADDRESSES section of this notice.

ADDRESSES:

You may mail nominations for membership to the following: Attention: Maria Ellis, Office of Clinical Standards and Quality, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 7500 Security Boulevard, Mail Stop: C1-09-06, Baltimore, MD 21244-1850.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Maria Ellis, Executive Secretary for MEDCAC, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services OCSQ—Coverage and Analysis Group, Mailstop: C1-09-06, 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21244, or contact Ms. Ellis by phone at 410-786-0309; or via e-mail at [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

On December 14, 1998, we published a notice in the Federal Register (63 FR 68780) announcing establishment of the Medicare Coverage Advisory Committee (MCAC). The Secretary signed the initial charter for the Medicare Coverage Advisory Committee on November 24, 1998. On January 26, 2007 the Secretary published a notice in the Federal Register (72FR 3853), changing the Committee's name to the Medicare Evidence Development and Coverage Advisory Committee (MEDCAC). The charter for the committee was renewed by the Secretary and will terminate on November 24, 2010, unless renewed again by the Secretary.

The MEDCAC is governed by provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, Public Law 92-463, as amended (5 U.S.C. App. 2), which sets forth standards for the formulation and use of advisory committees, and is authorized by section 222 of the Public Health Service Act as amended (42 U.S.C. 217a).

The MEDCAC consists of a pool of 100 appointed members including: 6 patient advocates, who are standard voting members, and 6 representatives of industry interests, who are nonvoting members. Members are selected from among authorities in clinical medicine of all specialties, administrative medicine, public health, biologic and physical sciences, health care data and information management and analysis, patient advocacy, the economics of health care, medical ethics, and other related professions such as epidemiology and biostatistics, and methodology of trial design.

The MEDCAC functions on a committee basis. The Committee reviews and evaluates medical literature, reviews technology assessments, and examines data and information on the effectiveness and appropriateness of medical items and services that are covered or eligible for coverage under Medicare. The Committee works from an agenda provided by the Designated Federal Official that lists specific issues, and develops technical advice to assist us in determining reasonable and necessary applications of medical services and technology when we make national coverage decisions for Medicare. The Committee also advises CMS as part of Medicare's coverage evidence development activities.

II. Provisions of the Notice

As of May 2009, there will be 20 terms of membership expiring, 2 of which are nonvoting industry representatives and 2 are voting patient advocates.

Accordingly, we are requesting nominations for both voting and nonvoting members to serve on the MEDCAC. Nominees are selected based upon their individual qualifications and not as representatives of professional associations or societies. We have a special interest in ensuring that women, minority groups, and physically challenged individuals are adequately represented on the MEDCAC. Therefore, we encourage nominations of qualified candidates from these groups.

All nominations must be accompanied by curricula vitae. Nomination packages must be sent to the address listed in the ADDRESSES section of this notice. Nominees for voting membership must meet MEDCAC criteria by having expertise and experience in one or more of the following fields:

• Clinical medicine of all specialties.
• Administrative medicine.
• Public health.
• Patient advocacy.
• Biologic and physical sciences.
• Health care data and information management and analysis.
• The economics of health care.
• Medical ethics.
• Other related professions such as epidemiology and biostatistics, and methodology of clinical trial design.

We are looking for experts in a number of fields. Our most critical needs are for experts in Bayesian statistics; clinical epidemiology; clinical trial methodology; knee, hip, and other joint replacement surgery; ophthalmology; psychopharmacology; registries; rheumatology; screening and diagnostic testing analysis; and stroke. We also need experts in biostatistics in clinical settings, cardiovascular epidemiology, cost effectiveness analysis, dementia, endocrinology, geriatrics, gynecology, minority health, observational research design, stroke epidemiology, and women's health.

The nomination letter must include a statement that the nominee is willing to serve as a member of the MEDCAC and appears to have no conflict of interest that would preclude membership. We are requesting that all curricula vitae include the following:

• Date of birth.
• Place of birth.
• Social security number.
• Title and current position.
• Professional affiliation.
• Home and business address.
• Telephone and fax numbers.
• E-mail address.
• List of areas of expertise.

In the nomination letter, we are requesting that the nominee specify whether they are applying for a voting patient advocate position, for another voting position, or as a non-voting industry representative. Potential candidates will be asked to provide detailed information concerning such matters as financial holdings, consultancies, and research grants or contracts in order to permit evaluation of possible sources of conflict of interest.

Members are invited to serve for overlapping 2-year terms. A member may serve after the expiration of the member's term until a successor takes office. Any interested person may nominate one or more qualified persons. Self-nominations are also accepted.

The current Secretary's Charter for the MEDCAC is available on the CMS Web site at: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/​FACA/​Downloads/​medcaccharter.pdf, or you may obtain a copy of the charter by submitting a request to the contact listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this notice.

Authority: 5 U.S.C. App. 2, section 10(a)(1) and (a)(2).

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program No. 93.773, Medicare—Hospital Insurance; and Program No. 93.774, Medicare—Supplementary Medical Insurance Program)

Dated: March 18, 2009.

Barry M. Straube,

Chief Medical Officer, Director, Office of Clinical Standards and Quality, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.