[Federal Register: January 6, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 3)]
[Notices]
[Page 665-666]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr06ja04-88]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
[CMS-4065-N]
Medicare Program: Meeting of the Advisory Panel on Medicare
Education
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 February 5, 2004. The Panel advises and makes recommendations
to the Secretary of the Department 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 February 5, 2004, from 9:15 a.m. to
4 p.m. e.s.t.
Deadline for Presentations and Comments: January 29, 2004, 12 noon
e.s.t.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Wyndham Washington Hotel,
1400 M Street, NW., Washington, DC 20005, (202) 429-1700.
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
ljohnson3@cms.hhs.gov. 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 the Department
of Health and Human Services (the Secretary) the authority to establish
an advisory panel if the Secretary finds the panel necessary and in the
public interest. The Secretary signed the charter establishing this
panel on January 21, 1999 (64 FR 7899), and approved the renewal of the
charter on January 21, 2003. 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:
[sbull] To develop and implement a national Medicare education
program that describes the options for selecting a health plan under
Medicare.
[sbull] To enhance the Federal government's effectiveness in
informing the Medicare consumer, including the appropriate use of
public-private partnerships.
[sbull] To expand outreach to vulnerable and underserved
communities, including racial and ethnic minorities, in the context of
a national Medicare education program.
[sbull] 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.
[[Page 666]]
The current members of the Panel are: James L. Bildner, Chairman
and Chief Executive Officer, Tier Technologies; Dr. Jane Delgado, Chief
Executive Officer, National Alliance for Hispanic Health; Joyce Dubow,
Senior Policy Advisor, Public Policy Institute, American Association of
Retired Persons (AARP); Clayton Fong, President and Chief Executive
Officer, National Asian Pacific Center on Aging; Timothy Fuller,
Executive Director, National Gray Panthers; John Graham IV, President
and Chief Executive Officer, American Society of Association
Executives; Dr. William Haggett, Senior Vice President, Government
Programs, Independence Blue Cross; Thomas Hall, Chairman and Chief
Executive Officer, Cardio-Kinetics, Inc.; David Knutson, Director,
Health System Studies, Park Nicollet Institute for Research and
Education; Brian Lindberg, Executive Director, Consumer Coalition for
Quality Health Care; Katherine Metzger, Director, Medicare and Medicaid
Programs, Fallon Community Health Plan; Dr. Laurie Powers, Co-Director,
Center on Self-Determination, Oregon Health Sciences University; Dr.
Marlon Priest, Professor of Emergency Medicine, University of Alabama
at Birmingham; Dr. Susan Reinhard, Co-Director, Center for State Health
Policy, Rutgers University and Chairperson of the Advisory Panel on
Medicare Education; Dr. Everard Rutledge, Vice President of Community
Health, Bon Secours Health Systems, Inc.; Jay Sackman, Executive Vice
President, 1199 Service Employees International Union; Dallas
Salisbury, President and Chief Executive Officer, Employee Benefit
Research Institute; Rosemarie Sweeney, Vice President, Socioeconomic
Affairs and Policy Analysis, American Academy of Family Physicians; and
Bruce Taylor, Director, Employee Benefit Policy and Plans, Verizon
Communications.
The agenda for the February 5, 2004, meeting will include the
following:
[sbull] Recap of the previous (November 20, 2003) meeting.
[sbull] Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services update/ Center for
Beneficiary Choices update.
[sbull] Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization
Act update.
[sbull] Public comment.
[sbull] Listening session with CMS leadership.
[sbull] Next steps.
Individuals or organizations that wish to make a 5-minute oral
presentation on an agenda topic must 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 email at 1johnson3@cms.hhs.gov no
later than 12 noon, e.s.t., January 29, 2004. 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 29, 2004. 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 must 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). (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 29, 2003.
Dennis G. Smith,
Administrator (Acting), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
[FR Doc. 03-32321 Filed 12-31-03; 11:38 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-01-P