[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 246 (Friday, December 23, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76317-76318]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E5-7757]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

[CMS-4112-N]


Medicare Program; Meeting of the Advisory Panel on Medicare 
Education, January 26, 2006

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 January 26, 2006. 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: The meeting is scheduled for January 26, 2006 from 9 a.m. to 
3:30 p.m., e.s.t.
    Deadline for Presentations and Comments: January 19, 2006, 12 noon, 
e.s.t.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Wyndham City Center, 1143 
New Hampshire Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20036, (202) 775-0800.

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 Health and 
Human Services (the Secretary) the authority to establish an advisory 
panel for the purpose of advising the Secretary in connection with any 
of his functions. The Secretary signed the charter establishing this 
Panel on January 21, 1999 (64 FR 7849) 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; 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.; The Honorable Bobby Jindal, 
United States Congress; David Knutson, Director, Health System Studies, 
Park Nicollet Institute for Research and Education; Dr. David Lansky, 
Director, Health Program, Markle Foundation; Dr. Frank I. Luntz, 
President and Chief Executive Officer, Luntz Research Companies; Dr. 
Daniel Lyons, Senior Vice President, Government Programs, Independence 
Blue Cross; Dr. Frank B. McArdle, Manager, Hewitt Research Office, 
Hewitt Associates, 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; 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; 
Rebecca Snead, Administrative Manager, National Council of State 
Pharmacy Association Executives; Catherine Valenti, Chairperson and 
Chief Executive Officer, Caring Voice Coalition, and Grant Wedner, 
Manager, Business Development Team, Cosmix Corporation.
    The agenda for the January 26, 2006 meeting will include the 
following:
     Recap of the previous (September 27, 2005) meeting.
     Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services update.
     Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization 
Act of 2003 (Pub. L. 108-173): outreach and education 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 
[email protected], no later than 12 noon, e.s.t., January 19, 
2006. 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 19, 2006. 
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).


[[Page 76318]]


(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 16, 2005.
Mark B. McClellan,
Administrator, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
[FR Doc. E5-7757 Filed 12-22-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-01-P