[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 50 (Wednesday, March 17, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14639-14641]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-05626]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

[CMS-7061-N]


Announcement of the Advisory Panel on Outreach and Education 
(APOE) March 31, 2021 Virtual Meeting

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the next meeting of the 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) (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 Health Insurance Marketplace[supreg], 
Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). 
This meeting is open to the public.

DATES: 
    Meeting Date: Wednesday, March 31, 2021 from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 
p.m. eastern daylight time (e.d.t).
    Deadline for Meeting Registration, Presentations, Special 
Accommodations, and Comments: Wednesday, March 24, 2021, 5:00 p.m. 
(e.d.t).

ADDRESSES: 
    Meeting Location: Virtual. All those who RSVP will receive the link 
to attend.
    Presentations and Written Comments: Presentations and written 
comments should be submitted to: Lisa Carr, Designated Federal Official 
(DFO), Office of Communications, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 
Services, 200 Independence Avenue SW, Mailstop 325G HHH, Washington, DC 
20201, 202-690-5742, or via email at [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 at the website https://www.eventbrite.com/e/apoe-march-31-2021-virtual-meeting-tickets-140075935895 or by contacting the DFO 
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: Lisa Carr, Designated Federal 
Official, Office of Communications, 200 Independence Avenue SW, 
Mailstop 325G HHH, Washington, DC 20201, 202-690-5742, or via email at 
[email protected].
    Additional information about the APOE is available at: https://www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance/Guidance/FACA/APOE. Press 
inquiries are handled through the CMS Press Office at (202) 690-6145.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background and Charter Renewal Information

A. Background

    The Advisory Panel for Outreach and Education (APOE) (the Panel) is 
governed by the provisions of the 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 (the 
Act) (42 U.S.C. 1314(f)) and section 222 of the Public Health Service 
Act (42 U.S.C. 217a).
    The Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 
(HHS) (the Secretary) signed the charter establishing the Citizen's 
Advisory

[[Page 14640]]

Panel on Medicare Education \1\ (the predecessor to the APOE) on 
January 21, 1999 (64 FR 7899) 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).
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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 Prescription Drug, Improvement, and 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 had substantial 
responsibilities to provide information to Medicare beneficiaries about 
the range of health plan options available and better tools to evaluate 
these options. The successful MA program implementation required CMS to 
consider the 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, 
we have 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 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Pub. L. 111-148) 
and Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (Pub. L. 111-
152) (collectively referred to as the Affordable Care Act) expanded the 
availability of other options for health care coverage and enacted a 
number of changes to Medicare as well as to Medicaid and CHIP. 
Qualified individuals and qualified employers are now able to purchase 
private health insurance coverage through a competitive marketplace, 
called an Affordable Insurance Exchange (also called Health Insurance 
Marketplace[supreg], or Marketplace[supreg] \2\). 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[supreg]. The APOE (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.
    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) (Pub. 
L. 111-5).
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    \2\ Health Insurance Marketplace[supreg]SM and 
Marketplace[supreg]SM are service marks of the U.S. 
Department of Health and Human Services.
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    On January 21, 2011, the Panel's charter was renewed and the Panel 
was renamed the Advisory Panel for Outreach and Education. The Panel's 
charter was most recently renewed on January 19, 2021, and will 
terminate on January 19, 2023 unless renewed by appropriate action.

B. Charter Renewal

    In accordance with the January 19, 2021, charter, the APOE will 
advise the HHS and CMS on developing and implementing education 
programs that support individuals who are enrolled in or eligible for 
Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, or coverage available through the Health 
Insurance Marketplace[supreg] and other CMS programs. 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 the ARRA.
    The charter will terminate on January 19, 2023, 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.
    In accordance with the renewed charter, the APOE will advise the 
Secretary 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, the CHIP, and coverage available through the Health Insurance 
Marketplace[supreg] and other CMS programs.
     Enhancing the federal government's effectiveness in 
informing Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, or the Health Insurance 
Marketplace[supreg] 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, partners and stakeholders.
     Expanding outreach to vulnerable and underserved 
communities, including racial and ethnic minorities, in the context of 
Medicare, Medicaid, the CHIP and the Health Insurance 
Marketplace[supreg] education programs, and other CMS programs as 
designated.
     Assembling and sharing an information base of ``best 
practices'' for helping consumers evaluate health coverage 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 the Affordable Care Act.
    The current members of the Panel as of February 16, 2021, are: E. 
Lorraine Bell, Chief Officer, Population Health, Catholic Charities 
USA; Nazleen Bharmal, Medical Director of Community Partnerships, 
Cleveland Clinic; Angie Boddie, Director of Health Programs, National 
Caucus and Center on Black Aging, Inc.; Julie Carter, Senior Federal 
Policy Associate, Medicare Rights Center; Scott Ferguson, Director of 
Care Transitions and Population Health, Mount Sinai St. Luke's 
Hospital; Leslie Fried, Senior Director, Center for Benefits Access, 
National Council on Aging; David Goldberg, President and CEO of Mon 
Health System; Jean-Venable Robertson Goode, Professor, Department of 
Pharmacotherapy and Outcomes Science, School of Pharmacy, Virginia 
Commonwealth University; Ted Henson, Director of Health Center 
Performance and Innovation, National Association of Community Health

[[Page 14641]]

Centers; Joan Ilardo, Director of Research Initiatives, Michigan State 
University, College of Human Medicine; Cheri Lattimer, Executive 
Director, National Transitions of Care Coalition; Cori McMahon, Vice 
President, Tridiuum; Alan Meade, Director of Rehab Services, Holston 
Medical Group; Michael Minor, National Director, H.O.P.E. HHS 
Partnership, National Baptist Convention USA, Incorporated; Jina 
Ragland, Associate State Director of Advocacy and Outreach, AARP 
Nebraska; Morgan Reed, Executive Director, Association for Competitive 
Technology; Margot Savoy, Chair, Department of Family and Community 
Medicine, Temple University Physicians; Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz, 
President and CEO, Better Medicare Alliance; and; Tia Whitaker, 
Statewide Director, Outreach and Enrollment, Pennsylvania Association 
of Community Health Centers.

II. Provisions of this Notice

    In accordance with section 10(a) of the FACA, this notice announces 
a meeting of the APOE. The agenda for the March 31, 2021 meeting will 
include the following:

 Welcome and listening session with CMS leadership
 Recap of the previous (September 23, 2020) meeting
 CMS programs, initiatives, and priorities
 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 an oral 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.

III. Meeting Participation

    The meeting is open to the public, but attendance is limited to 
registered participants. Persons wishing to attend this meeting must 
register at the website https://www.eventbrite.com/e/apoe-march-31-2021-virtual-meeting-tickets-140075935895 or contact the DFO at the 
address or number listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section 
of this notice by the date specified in the DATES section of this 
notice. This meeting will be held virtually. Individuals who are not 
registered in advance will be unable to attend the meeting.

IV. Collection of Information

    This document does not impose information collection requirements, 
that is, reporting, recordkeeping, or third-party disclosure 
requirements. Consequently, there is no need for review by the Office 
of Management and Budget under the authority of the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. chapter 35).
    The Acting Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 
Services (CMS), Elizabeth Richter, having reviewed and approved this 
document, authorizes Lynette Wilson, who is the Federal Register 
Liaison, to electronically sign this document for purposes of 
publication in the Federal Register.

    Dated: March 15, 2021.
Lynette Wilson,
Federal Register Liaison, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
[FR Doc. 2021-05626 Filed 3-15-21; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 4120-01-P