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[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 228 (Tuesday, November 27, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70785-70786]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-28647]

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

[CMS-7026-N]

Medicare, Medicaid, and Children's Health Insurance Programs; 
Meeting of the Advisory Panel on Outreach and Education (APOE), 
December 18, 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 
strategies concerning Medicare, Medicaid and the Children's Health 
Insurance Program (CHIP). This meeting is open to the public.

DATES: Meeting Date: Tuesday, December 18, 2012, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. 
Eastern Standard Time (EST).
    Deadline for Meeting Registration, Presentations and Comments: 
Tuesday, December 4, 2012, 5:00 p.m., EST.
    Deadline for Requesting Special Accommodations: Tuesday, December 
4, 2012, 5:00 p.m., EST.

ADDRESSES: Meeting Location: The Liaison Capitol Hill, 415 New Jersey 
Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20001.
    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 Jennifer.Kordonski@cms.hhs.gov.
    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 Web site http://events.SignUp4.com/APOEDECMTG or 
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. 
Additional information about the APOE is available on the Internet at 
http://www.cms.gov/FACA/04_APOE.asp. 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:

[[Page 70786]]

     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 December 18, 2012 meeting will include the 
following:
     Welcome and Listening Session with CMS Leadership.
     Recap of the Previous (August 2, 2012) Meeting.
     Affordable Care Act Initiatives.
     Quality 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.

    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: November 20, 2012.
Marilyn Tavenner,
Acting Administrator, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
[FR Doc. 2012-28647 Filed 11-26-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-01-P
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