[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 207 (Friday, October 25, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65589-65590]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-27194]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services


Statement of Organization, Functions, and Delegations of 
Authority

    Part F of the Statement of Organization, Functions, and Delegations 
of Authority for the Department of Health and Human Services, Centers 
for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), (Federal Registers, Vol. 64, 
No. 249, p. 73057; Vol. 67, No. 81, p. 20804; and Vol. 66, No. 177, p. 
47498 dated September 12, 2001) is amended to reflect changes to the 
Center for Beneficiary Choices and the Office of Research, Development 
and Information.
    The specific amendments to part F are described below:
    [sbull] Section F.10. (Organization) is amended to read as follows:
1. Public Affairs Office (FAC)
2. Center for Beneficiary Choices (FAE)
3. Office of Legislation (FAF)
4. Center for Medicare Management (FAH)
5. Office of Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights (FAJ)
6. Office of Research, Demonstration, and Information (FAK)
7. Office of Clinical Standards and Quality (FAM)
8. Office of the Actuary (FAN)
9. Center for Medicaid and State Operations (FAS)
10. Northeastern Consortium (FAU)
11. Southern Consortium (FAV)
12. Midwestern Consortium (FAW)
13. Western Consortium (FAX)
14. Office of Operations Management (FAY)
15. Office of Internal Customer Support (FBA)
16. Office of Information Services (FBB)
17. Office of Financial Management (FBC)

    [sbull] Section F.20. (Functions) is amended by deleting the 
functional statement in its entirety for the Center for Beneficiary 
Choices. The new functional statement reads as follows:

2. Center for Beneficiary Choices (FAE)

    [sbull] Serves as the focal point for all Agency interactions with 
beneficiaries, their families, care givers, health care providers, and 
others operating on their behalf concerning improving beneficiary 
ability to make informed decisions about their health and about program 
benefits administered by the Agency. These activities include strategic 
and implementation planning, execution, assessment and communications.
    [sbull] Assesses beneficiary and other consumer needs, develops and 
oversees activities targeted to meet these needs, and documents and 
disseminates results of these activities. These activities focus on 
Agency beneficiary service goals and objectives and include: 
development of baseline and ongoing monitoring information concerning 
populations affected by Agency programs; development of performance 
measures and assessment programs; design and implementation of 
beneficiary services initiatives; development of communications 
channels and feedback mechanisms within the Agency and between the 
Agency and its beneficiaries and their representatives; and close 
collaboration with other Federal and State agencies and other 
stakeholders with a shared interest in better serving our 
beneficiaries.
    [sbull] Develops national policy for all Medicare Parts A, B, and C 
beneficiary eligibility, enrollment, entitlement; premium billing and 
collection; coordination of benefits; rights and protections; dispute 
resolution process; as well as policy for managed care enrollment and 
disenrollment to assure the effective administration of the Medicare 
program, including the development of related legislative proposals.
    [sbull] Oversees the development of privacy and confidentiality 
policies pertaining to the collection, use, and release to individually 
identifiable data.
    [sbull] Coordinates beneficiary-centered information, education, 
and service initiatives.
    [sbull] Develops and tests new and innovative methods to improve 
beneficiary aspects of health care delivery systems through Title 
XVIII, XIX, and XXI demonstrations and other creative approaches to 
meeting the needs of Agency beneficiaries.
    [sbull] Assures, in coordination with other Centers and Offices, 
the activities of Medicare contractors, including managed care plans, 
agents, and State Agencies meet the Agency's requirements on matters 
concerning beneficiaries and other consumers.
    [sbull] Plans and administers the contracts and grants related to 
beneficiary and customer service, including the State Health Insurance 
Assistance Program grants.
    [sbull] Formulates strategies to advance overall beneficiary 
communications goals and coordinates the design and publication process 
for all beneficiary-centered information, education, and service 
initiatives.
    [sbull] Builds a range of partnerships with other national 
organizations for effective consumer outreach, awareness, and

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education efforts in support of Agency programs.
    [sbull] Serves as the focal point for all Agency interactions with 
managed health care organizations for issues relating to Agency 
programs' policy and operations.
    [sbull] Develops national policies and procedures related to the 
development, qualification and compliance of health maintenance 
organizations, competitive medical plans and other health care delivery 
systems and purchasing arrangements (such as prospective pay, case 
management, differential payment, selective contracting, etc.) 
necessary to assure the effective administration of the Agency's 
programs, including the development of statutory proposals.
    [sbull] Handles all phases of contracts with managed health care 
organizations eligible to provide care to Medicare beneficiaries.
    [sbull] Coordinates the administration of individual benefits to 
assure appropriate focus on long term care, where applicable, and 
assumes responsibility for the operational efforts related to the 
payment aspects of long term care and post-acute care services.
    6. Office of Research, Development and Information
    [sbull] Provides analytic support and information to the 
Administrator and the Executive Council needed to establish Agency 
goals and directions.
    [sbull] Performs environmental scanning, identifying, evaluating, 
and reporting emerging trends in health care delivery and financing and 
their interactions with Agency programs.
    [sbull] Manages strategic, crosscutting initiatives.
    [sbull] Designs and conducts research and evaluations of health 
care programs, studying their impacts on beneficiaries, providers, 
plans, States and other partners and customers, designing and assessing 
potential improvements, and developing new measurement tools.
    [sbull] Coordinates all Agency demonstration activities, including 
development of the research and demonstration annual plan, evaluation 
of all Agency demonstrations, and assistance to other components in the 
design of demonstrations and studies.
    [sbull] Manages assigned demonstrations, including Federal review, 
approval, and oversight; coordinates and participates with departmental 
components in experimental health care delivery projects.
    [sbull] Develops research, demonstration, and other publications 
and papers related to health care issues.
    [sbull] Serves as a contact in CMS for international visitors. 
Responds to requests from intergovernmental agencies and the 
international community for information related to the United States 
health care system.
    [sbull] Designs and conducts payment, purchasing, and benefits 
demonstrations.

    Dated: Ocotber 16, 2002.
Ruben J. King-Shaw, Jr.,
Deputy Administrator and Chief Operating Officer, Centers for Medicare 
& Medicaid Services.
[FR Doc. 02-27194 Filed 10-24-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-01-P