[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 13 (Friday, January 20, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2983-2985]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-594]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

[CMS-7023-N]


Medicare, Medicaid, and Children's Health Insurance Programs; 
Meeting of the Advisory Panel on Outreach and Education (APOE), 
February 7, 2012

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

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces a meeting of the Advisory Panel on 
Outreach and Education (APOE) (the Panel) in accordance with the 
Federal Advisory Committee Act. 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

[[Page 2984]]

strategies concerning Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children's Health 
Insurance Program (CHIP). This meeting is open to the public.

DATES: Meeting Date: Tuesday, February 7, 2012 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 
p.m., Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).
    Deadline for Meeting Registration, Presentations and Comments: 
Tuesday, January 24, 2012, 5 p.m., EDT.
    Deadline for Requesting Special Accommodations: Tuesday, January 
24, 2012, 5 p.m., EDT.

ADDRESSES: Meeting Location: The Embassy Row Hotel, 2015 Massachusetts 
Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20036.
    Meeting Registration, Presentations, and Written Comments: Jennifer 
Kordonski, Designated Federal Official (DFO), Division of Forum and 
Conference Development, Office of Communications, Centers for Medicare 
& Medicaid Services, 7500 Security Boulevard, Mailstop S1-13-05, 
Baltimore, MD 21244-1850 or contact Ms. Kordonski via email at mail to: 
[email protected].
    Registration: The meeting is open to the public, but attendance is 
limited to the space available. Persons wishing to attend this meeting 
must register by contacting the DFO at the address listed in the 
ADDRESSES section of this notice or by telephone at number listed in 
the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this notice, by the date 
listed in the DATES section of this notice. Individuals requiring sign 
language interpretation or other special accommodations should contact 
the DFO at the address listed in the ADDRESSES section of this notice 
by the date listed in the DATES section of this notice.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer Kordonski, (410) 786-1840, or 
on the Internet at http://www.cms.gov/FACA/04_APOE.asp for additional 
information. Press inquiries are handled through the CMS Press Office 
at (202) 690-6145.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with section 10(a) of the 
Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), this notice announces a meeting 
of the Advisory Panel on Outreach and Education (APOE) (the Panel). 
Section 9(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act authorizes the 
Secretary of Health and Human Services (the Secretary) to establish an 
advisory panel if the Secretary determines that the panel is ``in the 
public interest in connection with the performance of duties imposed * 
* * by law.'' Such duties are imposed by section 1804 of the Social 
Security Act (the Act), requiring the Secretary to provide 
informational materials to Medicare beneficiaries about the Medicare 
program, and section 1851(d) of the Act, requiring the Secretary to 
provide for ``activities * * * to broadly disseminate information to 
[M]edicare beneficiaries * * * on the coverage options provided under 
[Medicare Advantage] in order to promote an active, informed selection 
among such options.''
    The Panel is also authorized by section 1114(f) of the Act (42 
U.S.C. 1314(f)) and section 222 of the Public Health Service Act (42 
U.S.C. 217a). The Secretary signed the charter establishing this Panel 
on January 21, 1999 (64 FR 7899, February 17, 1999) and approved the 
renewal of the charter on January 21, 2011 (76 FR 11782, March 3, 
2011).
    Pursuant to the amended charter, the Panel advises and makes 
recommendations to the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the 
Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) 
concerning optimal strategies for the following:
     Developing and implementing education and outreach 
programs for individuals enrolled in, or eligible for, Medicare, 
Medicaid, and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
     Enhancing the Federal government's effectiveness in 
informing Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP consumers, providers and 
stakeholders pursuant to education and outreach programs of issues 
regarding these and other health coverage programs, including the 
appropriate use of public-private partnerships to leverage the 
resources of the private sector in educating beneficiaries, providers, 
and stakeholders.
     Expanding outreach to vulnerable and underserved 
communities, including racial and ethnic minorities, in the context of 
Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP education programs.
     Assembling and sharing an information base of ``best 
practices'' for helping consumers evaluate health plan options.
     Building and leveraging existing community infrastructures 
for information, counseling, and assistance.
     Drawing the program link between outreach and education, 
promoting consumer understanding of health care coverage choices and 
facilitating consumer selection/enrollment, which in turn support the 
overarching goal of improved access to quality care, including 
prevention services, envisioned under health care reform.
    The current members of the Panel are: Samantha Artiga, Principal 
Policy Analyst, Kaiser Family Foundation; Joseph Baker, President, 
Medicare Rights Center; Philip Bergquist, Manager, Health Center 
Operations; CHIPRA Outreach & Enrollment Project and Director, Michigan 
Primary Care Association, Marjorie Cadogan, Executive Deputy 
Commissioner, Department of Social Services; Jonathan Dauphine, Senior 
Vice President, AARP; Barbara Ferrer, Executive Director, Boston Public 
Health Commission; Shelby Gonzales, Senior Health Outreach Associate, 
Center on Budget & Policy Priorities; Jan Henning, Benefits Counseling 
& Special Projects Coordinator, North Central Texas Council of 
Governments' Area Agency on Aging; Warren Jones, Executive Director, 
Mississippi Institute for Improvement of Geographic Minority Health; 
Cathy Kaufmann, Administrator, Oregon Health Authority; Sandy Markwood, 
Chief Executive Officer, National Association of Area Agencies on 
Aging; Miriam Mobley-Smith, Dean, Chicago State University, College of 
Pharmacy; Ana Natale-Pereira, Associate Professor of Medicine, 
University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey; Megan Padden, Vice 
President, Sentara Health Plans; David W. Roberts, Vice-President, 
Healthcare Information and Management System Society; Julie Bod[euml]n 
Schmidt, Associate Vice President, National Association of Community 
Health Centers; Alan Spielman, President & Chief Executive Officer, 
URAC; Winston Wong, Medical Director, Community Benefit Director, 
Kaiser Permanente; and Darlene Yee-Melichar, Professor & Coordinator, 
San Francisco State University.
    The agenda for the February 7, 2012 meeting will include the 
following:
     Welcome and Listening Session with CMS Leadership;
     Recap of the Previous (November 17, 2011) Meeting;
     Affordable Care Act Initiatives;
     An opportunity for public comment;
     Meeting Summary, Review of Recommendations and 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 the DFO at the address listed in the ADDRESSES 
section of this notice by the date listed in the DATES section of this 
notice. The number of oral presentations may be limited by the time 
available. Individuals not wishing to make a presentation may submit 
written comments to the DFO at the address listed in the ADDRESSES 
section of this notice by the date listed in the DATES section of this 
notice.


[[Page 2985]]


    Authority:  Sec. 222 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
217a) and sec. 10(a) of Public Law 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: January 5, 2012.
Marilyn Tavenner,
Acting Administrator, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
[FR Doc. 2012-594 Filed 1-19-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-01-P