[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 223 (Friday, November 18, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71573-71574]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-29784]



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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

[CMS-3254-N]


Medicare Program; Request for Nominations for Members for the 
Medicare Evidence Development & Coverage Advisory Committee

AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the request for nominations for 
membership on the Medicare Evidence Development & Coverage Advisory 
Committee (MEDCAC). Among other duties, the MEDCAC provides advice and 
guidance to the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human 
Services (the Secretary) and the Administrator of the Centers for 
Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) concerning the adequacy of 
scientific evidence available to CMS for ``reasonable and necessary'' 
determinations under Medicare.
    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 wish to ensure adequate representation of 
the interests of both women and men, members of all ethnic groups and 
physically challenged individuals. Therefore we encourage nominations 
of qualified candidates who can represent these interests.
    The MEDCAC reviews and evaluates medical literature, technology 
assessments, and hears public testimony on the evidence available to 
address the impact of medical items and services on health outcomes of 
Medicare beneficiaries.

DATES: Nominations will be considered if postmarked by Monday, January 
30, 2012 and mailed to the address specified in the ADDRESSES section 
of this notice.

ADDRESSES: You may mail nominations for membership to the following 
address: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Office of Clinical 
Standards and Quality, Attention: Maria Ellis, 7500 Security Boulevard, 
Mail Stop: South Building 3-02-01, Baltimore, MD 21244.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Maria Ellis, Executive Secretary for 
the MEDCAC, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Office of 
Clinical Standards and Quality, Coverage and Analysis Group, S3-02-01, 
7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21244 or contact Ms. Ellis by 
phone (410) 786-0309) or via email at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background

    The Secretary signed the initial charter for the Medicare Coverage 
Advisory Committee (MCAC) on November 24, 1998. A notice in the Federal 
Register (63 FR 68780) announcing establishment of the MCAC was 
published on December 14, 1998. The MCAC name was updated to more 
accurately reflect the purpose of the committee and on January 26, 
2007, the Secretary published a notice in the Federal Register (72 FR 
3853), announcing that the Committee's name changed to the Medicare 
Evidence Development & Coverage Advisory Committee (MEDCAC). The 
charter for the committee was renewed by the Secretary on November 24, 
2010. The current charter is effective for 2 years.
    The MEDCAC is governed by provisions of the Federal Advisory 
Committee Act, Pub. L. 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: 
94 voting members of whom 6 are designated patient advocates, and 6 
nonvoting representatives of industry interests. Members generally are 
recognized authorities in clinical medicine including subspecialties, 
administrative medicine, public health, biological and physical 
sciences, epidemiology and biostatistics, clinical trial design, health 
care data management and analysis, patient advocacy, health care 
economics, medical ethics, or other relevant professions.
    The MEDCAC works from an agenda provided by the Designated Federal 
Official. The MEDCAC reviews and evaluates medical literature, 
technology assessments, and hears public testimony on the evidence 
available to address the impact of medical items and services on health 
outcomes of Medicare beneficiaries. The MEDCAC may also advise CMS as 
part of Medicare's ``coverage with evidence development'' initiative.

II. Provisions of the Notice

    As of June 2012, there will be 30 membership terms expiring. Of the 
30 memberships expiring, 1 is a nonvoting industry representative, 4 
are voting patient advocates and the remaining 25 membership openings 
are for the general MEDCAC voting membership.
    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 wish to ensure adequate 
representation of the interests of both women and men, members of all 
ethnic groups and physically challenged individuals. Therefore, we 
encourage nominations of qualified candidates from these groups.
    All nominations must be accompanied by curricula vitae. Nomination 
packages must be sent to Maria Ellis at the address listed in the 
ADDRESSES section of this notice. Nominees for voting membership must 
also have expertise and experience in one or more of the following 
fields:
     Clinical medicine including subspecialties
     Administrative medicine
     Public health
     Biological and physical sciences
     Epidemiology and biostatistics
     Clinical trial design
     Health care data management and analysis
     Patient advocacy
     Health care economics
     Medical ethics
     Other relevant professions
    We are looking for experts in a number of fields. Our most critical 
needs are for experts in hematology; genomics; Bayesian statistics; 
clinical epidemiology; clinical trial methodology; knee, hip, and other 
joint replacement surgery; ophthalmology; psychopharmacology; 
rheumatology; screening and diagnostic testing analysis; and vascular 
surgery. We also need experts in biostatistics in clinical settings, 
cardiovascular epidemiology, 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

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     Email 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 nonvoting 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 
is named. 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: October 18, 2011.
Patrick Conway,
CMS Chief Medical Officer and Director, Office of Clinical Standards 
and Quality, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
[FR Doc. 2011-29784 Filed 11-17-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-01-P