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[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 80 (Monday, April 27, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23277-23279]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-09730]

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

[CMS-7036-N2]

Health Insurance Marketplace, Medicare, Medicaid, and Children's 
Health Insurance Programs; Additional Request for Nominations 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 requests nominations for individuals to serve on 
the Advisory Panel on Outreach and Education (APOE).

DATES: Nominations will be considered if we receive them at the 
appropriate address, provided in the ``ADDRESSES'' section of this 
notice, no later than 5 p.m., Eastern Daylight Time (e.d.t.) on May 18, 
2015.

ADDRESSES: Mail or deliver nominations to the following address: 
Abigail Huffman, Designated Federal Official, Office of Communications, 
CMS, 7500 Security Boulevard, Mail Stop S1-05-06, Baltimore, MD 21244-
1850 or email nominations to Abigail.Huffman1@cms.hhs.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Abigail Huffman, Designated Federal 
Official, Office of Communications, CMS, 7500 Security Boulevard, Mail 
Stop S1-05-06, Baltimore, MD 21244, 410-786-0897, email, 
Abigail.Huffman1@cms.hhs.gov or visit the Web site 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.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background

    The Advisory Panel on Medicare Education (the predecessor to the 
APOE) was created in 1999 to advise and make recommendations to the 
Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), 
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).
    The Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA) (Pub. L. 108-173) 
expanded the existing health plan options and benefits available under 
the

[[Page 23278]]

M + C program and renamed it the Medicare Advantage (MA) program. We 
have had 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 us 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, the Secretary, and by delegation, the Administrator of 
CMS were authorized under Title I of MMA 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 Affordable Care Act (Patient Protection and Affordable Care 
Act, Pub. L. 111-148, and Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act 
of 2010, Pub. L. 111-152) expanded the availability of other 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 a competitive marketplace, 
called the Affordable Insurance Exchange (or Health Insurance 
Marketplace, or ``Marketplace''). 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. 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 APOE charter was originally created in 1999, as the charter for 
the Advisory Panel on Medicare Education. The panel's charter was 
renewed, and the panel was renamed the Advisory Panel for Outreach and 
Education, on January 21, 2011. The charter was most recently renewed 
on January 21, 2015. The APOE will advise HHS and CMS on developing and 
implementing education programs for individuals with, or who are 
eligible for, the Health Insurance Marketplace, Medicare, Medicaid, and 
CHIP about options for selecting health care coverage under these and 
other programs intended to ensure improved access to quality care, 
including preventive services. The scope of this panel, convened under 
the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), also includes advising on 
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).
    The charter will terminate on January 21, 2017, unless renewed by 
appropriate action. The APOE was chartered under 42 U.S.C. 222 of the 
Public Health Service Act, as amended. The APOE is governed by the 
provisions of 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.
    In accordance with the renewed charter, the APOE will advise the 
Secretary and the Administrator on 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), or 
coverage available through the Health Insurance Marketplace.
     Enhancing the federal government's effectiveness in 
informing Health Insurance Marketplace, Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP 
consumers, issuers, providers, and stakeholders through 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 
Health Insurance Marketplace, Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP education 
programs.
     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.
     Establishing links 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.
    In the February 27, 2015 Federal Register (80 FR 10688), we 
published a notice titled ``Health Insurance Marketplace, Medicare, 
Medicaid, and Children's Health Insurance Programs; Renewal of the 
Advisory Panel on Outreach and Education (APOE) and Request for 
Nominations''. The notice announced the renewal of the APOE charter and 
requested nominations for individuals to serve on the APOE.

II. Provisions of this Notice

    This notice is an additional solicitation of nominees for the 
Panel. The APOE shall consist of no more than 20 members. The Chair 
shall either be appointed from among the 20 members, or a federal 
official will be designated to serve as the Chair. The charter requires 
that meetings shall be held approximately four times per year. Members 
will be expected to attend all meetings. The members and the Chair 
shall be selected from authorities knowledgeable in one or more of the 
following fields:
     Senior citizen advocacy
     Outreach to minority and underserved communities
     Health communications
     Disease-related advocacy
     Disability policy and access
     Health economics research
     Behavioral health
     Health insurers and plans
     Health information technology (IT)
     Social media
     Direct patient care
     Matters of labor and retirement

Representatives of the general public may also serve on the APOE.

    This notice announces that, in July 2015, the terms of 11 existing 
members will expire, and in October 2015, the terms of 2 additional 
members will expire. This notice invites interested organizations or 
individuals to submit nominations for membership for all 13 upcoming 
vacancies on the APOE (no self-nominations will be accepted). The 
Secretary, or designee, will appoint new members to the APOE from among 
those candidates determined to have the expertise required to meet 
specific agency needs, in a manner to ensure an appropriate balance of 
membership. We are committed to ensuring that the interests of both 
women and men, members of all racial and ethnic groups, and disabled 
individuals are adequately

[[Page 23279]]

represented on the APOE. Therefore, we encourage nominations of 
qualified candidates who can represent these interests. Any interested 
organization or person may nominate one or more qualified persons.
    Each nomination must include a letter stating that the nominee has 
expressed a willingness to serve as a Panel member and must be 
accompanied by a curricula vitae and a brief biographical summary of 
the nominee's experience.
    While we are looking for experts in a number of fields, our most 
critical needs are for experts in Health IT, Tribal Affairs, Community 
Health Centers/Medically Underserved Populations, African-American 
Health/Disparities, Health/Disability, Quality/Disparities, and State 
Programs/Medicaid/Rural.
    We are requesting that all curricula vitae include the following:
     Date of birth
     Place of birth
     Title and current position
     Professional affiliation
     Home and business address
     Telephone and fax numbers
     Email address
     List of areas of expertise

Phone interviews of nominees may also be requested after review of the 
nominations.

    In order to permit an evaluation of possible sources of conflict of 
interest, potential candidates will be asked to provide detailed 
information concerning such matters as financial holdings, 
consultancies, and research grants or contracts.
    Members are invited to serve for 2-year terms, contingent upon the 
renewal of the APOE by appropriate action prior to its termination. A 
member may serve after the expiration of his or her term until a 
successor takes office. Any member appointed to fill a vacancy for an 
unexpired term shall be appointed for the remainder of that term.

III. Copies of the Charter

    The Secretary's Charter for the APOE is available on the CMS Web 
site at: http://www.cms.gov/Regulations-andGuidance/Guidance/FACA/APOE.html, or you may obtain a copy of the charter by submitting a 
request to the contact listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT 
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).

    Dated: April 21, 2015.
Andrew M. Slavitt
Acting Administrator, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
[FR Doc. 2015-09730 Filed 4-24-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4120-01-P
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