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###### Department of Health and Human Services

###### Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

          - [CMS-7023-N]

# AGENCY:

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

# ACTION:

Notice of meeting.

# 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                               ( print 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: 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 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 Bodën 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.                

      ( print 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