[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 3 (Tuesday, January 6, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 665-666]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-32321]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

[CMS-4065-N]


Medicare Program: Meeting of the Advisory Panel on Medicare 
Education

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

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 
U.S.C. Appendix 2, section 10(a) (Pub. L. 92-463), this notice 
announces a meeting of the Advisory Panel on Medicare Education (the 
Panel) on February 5, 2004. 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. This meeting is open to the 
public.

DATES: The meeting is scheduled for February 5, 2004, from 9:15 a.m. to 
4 p.m. e.s.t.
    Deadline for Presentations and Comments: January 29, 2004, 12 noon 
e.s.t.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Wyndham Washington Hotel, 
1400 M Street, NW., Washington, DC 20005, (202) 429-1700.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 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, (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 
[email protected]. 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 this 
panel on January 21, 1999 (64 FR 7899), and approved the renewal of the 
charter on January 21, 2003. 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:
    [sbull] To develop and implement a national Medicare education 
program that describes the options for selecting a health plan under 
Medicare.
    [sbull] To enhance the Federal government's effectiveness in 
informing the Medicare consumer, including the appropriate use of 
public-private partnerships.
    [sbull] To expand outreach to vulnerable and underserved 
communities, including racial and ethnic minorities, in the context of 
a national Medicare education program.
    [sbull] 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.

[[Page 666]]

    The current members of the Panel are: James L. Bildner, Chairman 
and Chief Executive Officer, Tier Technologies; Dr. Jane Delgado, Chief 
Executive Officer, National Alliance for Hispanic Health; Joyce Dubow, 
Senior Policy Advisor, Public Policy Institute, American Association of 
Retired Persons (AARP); Clayton Fong, President and Chief Executive 
Officer, National Asian Pacific Center on Aging; Timothy Fuller, 
Executive Director, National Gray Panthers; John Graham IV, President 
and Chief Executive Officer, American Society of Association 
Executives; Dr. William Haggett, Senior Vice President, Government 
Programs, Independence Blue Cross; Thomas Hall, Chairman and Chief 
Executive Officer, Cardio-Kinetics, Inc.; David Knutson, Director, 
Health System Studies, Park Nicollet Institute for Research and 
Education; Brian Lindberg, Executive Director, Consumer Coalition for 
Quality Health Care; Katherine Metzger, Director, Medicare and Medicaid 
Programs, Fallon Community Health Plan; Dr. Laurie Powers, Co-Director, 
Center on Self-Determination, Oregon Health Sciences University; Dr. 
Marlon Priest, Professor of Emergency Medicine, University of Alabama 
at Birmingham; Dr. Susan Reinhard, Co-Director, Center for State Health 
Policy, Rutgers University and Chairperson of the Advisory Panel on 
Medicare Education; Dr. Everard Rutledge, Vice President of Community 
Health, Bon Secours Health Systems, Inc.; Jay Sackman, Executive Vice 
President, 1199 Service Employees International Union; Dallas 
Salisbury, President and Chief Executive Officer, Employee Benefit 
Research Institute; Rosemarie Sweeney, Vice President, Socioeconomic 
Affairs and Policy Analysis, American Academy of Family Physicians; and 
Bruce Taylor, Director, Employee Benefit Policy and Plans, Verizon 
Communications.
    The agenda for the February 5, 2004, meeting will include the 
following:
    [sbull] Recap of the previous (November 20, 2003) meeting.
    [sbull] Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services update/ Center for 
Beneficiary Choices update.
    [sbull] Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization 
Act update.
    [sbull] Public comment.
    [sbull] Listening session with CMS leadership.
    [sbull] Next steps.
    Individuals or organizations that wish to make a 5-minute oral 
presentation on an agenda topic must 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 email at [email protected] no 
later than 12 noon, e.s.t., January 29, 2004. 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.), January 29, 2004. 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 must 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: December 29, 2003.
Dennis G. Smith,
Administrator (Acting), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
[FR Doc. 03-32321 Filed 12-31-03; 11:38 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-01-P