### 70785 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 228 / Tuesday, November 27, 2012 / Notices

policies to ensure that all compliant investigations are conducted in accordance with the requirements in the SOM, chapter 5.

• To meet the requirements at § 488.28(a) and Section 2726 of the SOM, AAAHC amended its policies to require a Plan of Correction (PoC) for all deficiencies cited.

• To meet the requirements at section 2728A of the SOM, AAAHC modified its policies to include all of the required elements in an acceptable PoC.

• To meet the requirements at 2728B of the SOM, AAAHC modified its policies regarding timeframes for requesting PoCs.

• To meet the requirements at section 2728B of the SOM, AAAHC modified its policies to ensure that accepted PoCs contain all elements specified in the SOM.

• To meet the Medicare requirements at section 3012 of the SOM related to focused and follow-up surveys, AAAHC amended its policies to include the 45- day response timeframe.

• To meet the requirements at Appendix L of the SOM— Sampling for Initial Surveys, Recertification Surveys, or Representative Sample Validation Surveys, AAAHC revised its policies to ensure surveyors review at least the required minimum number of medical records during a survey.

• To meet the requirements at Appendix L of the SOM— Use of the Infection Control Tool, AAAHC revised its survey protocol to ensure consistency, completeness and proper implementation of the Infection Control Tool.

• To verify AAAHC’s continued compliance with the provisions of the LSC, CMS will conduct a follow-up survey observation within 1 year of the date of publication of this final notice. B. Term of Approval

Based on our review and observations described in section III of this final notice, we have determined that AAAHC’s requirements for ASCs meet or exceed our requirements. Therefore, we approve AAAHC as a national accreditation organization for ASCs that request participation in the Medicare program, effective December 20, 2012 through December 20, 2018.

V. Collection of Information Requirements

This document does not impose any reporting, recordkeeping or third-party disclosure requirements. Consequently, it need not be reviewed by the Office of Management and Budget under the authority of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 35). (Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program No. 93.778, Medical Assistance Program; No. 93.773 Medicare—ASC Insurance Program; and No. 93.774, Medicare—Supplementary Medical Insurance Program)

Dated: November 20, 2012. Marilyn Tavenner, Acting Administrator, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
[FR Doc. 2012–28728 Filed 11–23–12; 8:45 am]

**BILLING CODE 4120–01–P**

**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.

**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:


### 70786 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 228 / Tuesday, November 27, 2012 / Notices

• 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 Bode  ̈ 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 YeeMelichar, 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 DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND**  **HUMAN SERVICES**

**Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services** 

**[CMS–9962–NC]**

**Request for Information Regarding Health Care Quality for Exchanges** 

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

**ACTION :**  Request for Information.

**SUMMARY :**  This notice is a request for information to seek public comments regarding health plan quality management in Affordable Insurance Exchanges.

**DATES :**  To be assured consideration, comments must be received at one of the addresses provided below, no later than 5 p.m. on December 27, 2012.

**ADDRESSES :**  In commenting, refer to file code CMS–9962–NC. Because of staff and resource limitations, we cannot accept comments by facsimile (FAX) transmission.

You may submit comments in one of four ways (please choose only one of the ways listed):

1. Electronically. You may submit electronic comments on this regulation
to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the ‘‘Submit a comment’’ instructions.

2. By regular mail. You may mail written comments to the following address ONLY:

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Department of Health and Human Services, Attention: CMS–9962– NC, P.O. Box 8010, Baltimore, MD
21244–8010.

Please allow sufficient time for mailed comments to be received before the close of the comment period.

3. By express or overnight mail. You may send written comments to the following address ONLY:

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Department of Health and Human Services, Attention: CMS–9962– NC, Mail Stop C4–26–05, 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21244–1850.

4. By hand or courier. Alternatively, you may deliver (by hand or courier) your written comments ONLY to the following addresses:

a. For delivery in Washington, DC— Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Department of Health and Human Services, Room 445–G, Hubert H. Humphrey Building, 200 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20201.

(Because access to the interior of the Hubert H. Humphrey Building is not readily available to persons without