[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 145 (Monday, July 31, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35530-35532]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-15960]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

[CMS-7045-N]


Health Insurance Marketplace\SM\, Medicare, Medicaid, and 
Children's Health Insurance Programs; Announcement of the Renewal of 
the Charter for the Advisory Panel on Outreach and Education (APOE)

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the renewal of the charter 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 the U.S. Department of Health and 
Human Services (HHS) and the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare 
& Medicaid

[[Page 35531]]

Services (CMS) on opportunities to enhance the effectiveness of 
consumer education strategies concerning the Health Insurance 
Marketplace\SM\, Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children's Health 
Insurance Program (CHIP). Additional information about the Panel is 
available on the Internet at: http://www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance/Guidance/FACA/APOE.html. Press inquiries are handled through 
the CMS Press Office at (202) 690-6145.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Thomas Dudley, (410) 786-1442.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background

    The Advisory Panel for Outreach and Education (APOE) (the Panel) is 
governed by the provisions of Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) 
(Pub. L. 92-463), as amended (5 U.S.C. appendix 2), which sets forth 
standards for the formation and use of federal advisory committees. The 
Panel is authorized by section 1114(f) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1314(f)) and section 222 of the Public Health Service Act (42 
U.S.C. 217a).
    On January 21, 1999, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health 
and Human Services (HHS) (the Secretary) signed the charter 
establishing the Citizen's Advisory Panel on Medicare Education \1\ 
(the predecessor to the APOE) to advise and make recommendations to the 
Secretary and the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 
Services (CMS) on the effective implementation of national Medicare 
education programs, including with respect to the Medicare+Choice (M+C) 
program added by the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (Pub. L. 105-33). (For 
more detailed information, see the February 17, 1999 Federal Register 
(64 FR 7899)).
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    \1\ We note that the Citizen's Advisory Panel on Medicare 
Education is also referred to as the Advisory Panel on Medicare 
Education (65 FR 4617). The name was updated in the Second Amended 
Charter approved on July 24, 2000.
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    The Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA) (Pub. L. 108-173) 
expanded the existing health plan options and benefits available under 
the M+C program and renamed it the Medicare Advantage (MA) program. CMS 
has substantial responsibilities to provide information to Medicare 
beneficiaries about the range of health plan options available and 
better tools to evaluate these options. Successful MA program 
implementation required CMS to consider views and policy input from a 
variety of private sector constituents and to develop a broad range of 
public-private partnerships.
    In addition, Title I of the MMA authorized the Secretary and the 
Administrator of CMS (by delegation) to establish the Medicare 
prescription drug benefit. The drug benefit allows beneficiaries to 
obtain qualified prescription drug coverage. In order to effectively 
administer the MA program and the Medicare prescription drug benefit, 
CMS has substantial responsibilities to provide information to Medicare 
beneficiaries about the range of health plan options and benefits 
available and to develop better tools to evaluate these plans and 
benefits.
    The Affordable Care Act (Patient Protection and Affordable Care 
Act, Public Law 111-148, and Health Care and Education Reconciliation 
Act of 2010, Public Law 111-152) expanded the availability of options 
for health care coverage and enacted a number of changes to Medicare as 
well as to Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). 
Qualified individuals and qualified employers are now able to purchase 
private health insurance coverage through competitive marketplaces, 
called an Affordable Insurance Exchange (also called Health Insurance 
Marketplace\SM\,\2\ or Marketplace\SM\). In order to effectively 
implement and administer these changes, we must provide information to 
consumers, providers, and other stakeholders through education and 
outreach programs regarding how existing programs will change and the 
expanded range of health coverage options available, including private 
health insurance coverage through the Marketplace\SM\. The Panel allows 
us to consider a broad range of views and information from interested 
audiences in connection with this effort and to identify opportunities 
to enhance the effectiveness of education strategies concerning the 
Affordable Care Act.
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    \2\ Health Insurance Marketplace\SM\ and Marketplace\SM\ are 
service marks of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.
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    The scope of this panel also includes advising on issues pertaining 
to the education of providers and stakeholders with respect to the 
Affordable Care Act and certain provisions of the Health Information 
Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act enacted as 
part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).
    On January 21, 2011, the Panel's charter was renewed and the Panel 
was renamed the Advisory Panel for Outreach and Education.

II. Provisions of This Notice

    Pursuant to the charter approved on January 19, 2017, the APOE was 
renewed. The APOE will advise the Department of Health and Human 
Services and CMS on developing and implementing education programs that 
support individuals enrolled in or eligible for Medicare, Medicaid, the 
CHIP, coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace and other CMS 
programs about options for selecting health care coverage under these 
and other programs envisioned under health care reform to ensure 
improved access to quality care, including prevention services. The 
scope of this FACA group also includes advising on education of 
providers and stakeholders with respect to health care reform and 
certain provisions of the HITECH Act enacted as part of ARRA. The 
charter will terminate on January 19, 2019, unless renewed by 
appropriate action. The APOE was chartered under 42 U.S.C. 217a, 
section 222 of the Public Health Service Act, as amended. The APOE is 
governed by provisions of Public Law 92-463, as amended (5 U.S.C. 
appendix 2), which sets forth standards for the formation and use of 
advisory committees.
    Pursuant to the renewed charter, the APOE will advise the Secretary 
of Health and Human Services and the CMS Administrator concerning 
optimal strategies for the following:
     Developing and implementing education and outreach 
programs for individuals enrolled in or eligible for Medicare, 
Medicaid, and CHIP or health coverage available through the Health 
Insurance Marketplace and other CMS programs.
     Enhancing the Federal government's effectiveness in 
informing the Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP or the Health Insurance 
Marketplace consumers, issuers, providers and stakeholders pursuant to 
education and outreach programs of issues regarding these 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, CHIP, and Health Insurance Marketplace education 
programs and other CMS programs as designated.
     Assembling and sharing an information base of ``best 
practices'' for helping consumers evaluate health coverage options.

[[Page 35532]]

     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 
preventive services, envisioned under the Affordable Care Act.
    The current members of the Panel are: Kellan Baker, Associate 
Director, Center for American Progress; Robert Blancato, President, 
Matz, Blancato & Associates; Dale Blasier, Professor of Orthopaedic 
Surgery, Department of Orthopaedics, Arkansas Children's Hospital; 
Deborah Britt, Executive Director of Community & Public Relations, 
Piedmont Fayette Hospital; Deena Chisolm, Associate Professor of 
Pediatrics & Public Health, The Ohio State University, Nationwide 
Children's Hospital; Josephine DeLeon, Director, Anti-Poverty 
Initiatives, Catholic Charities of California; Robert Espinoza, Vice 
President of Policy, Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute; Louise 
Scherer Knight, Director, The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center 
at Johns Hopkins; Roanne Osborne-Gaskin, M.D., Senior Medical Director, 
MDWise, Inc.; Cathy Phan, Outreach and Education Coordinator, Asian 
American Health Coalition DBA HOPE Clinic; Kamilah Pickett, Litigation 
Support, Independent Contractor; Brendan Riley, Outreach and Enrollment 
Coordinator, NC Community Health Center Association; Alvia Siddiqi, 
Medicaid Managed Care Community Network (MCCN) Medical Director, 
Advocate Physician Partners, Carla Smith, Executive Vice President, 
Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS); Tobin 
Van Ostern, Vice President and Co-Founder, Young Invincibles Advisors; 
and Paula Villescaz, Senior Consultant, Assembly Health Committee, 
California State Legislature.

III. Copies of the Charter

    The Secretary's Charter for the APOE is available on the CMS Web 
site at: https://www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance/Guidance/FACA/Downloads/APOECharter2017.pdf or you may obtain a copy of the charter 
by submitting a request to: Thomas Dudley, Designated Federal Official 
(DFO), Office of Communications, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 
Services, 7500 Security Boulevard, Mailstop S1 05-06, Baltimore, MD 
21244 1850 or via email at [email protected].

    Dated: July 21, 2017.
Seema Verma,
Administrator, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
[FR Doc. 2017-15960 Filed 7-28-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4120-01-P