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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 217 (Friday, November 8, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 88780-88782]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-25966]

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

[CMS-5054-N]

Medicare, Medicaid, Children's Health Insurance Program, Private 
Health Insurance Program; Health Equity Advisory Committee; 
Establishment & Nomination Request

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the establishment of the Centers for 
Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Health Equity Advisory Committee 
(the ``Committee'') and solicits nominations for members to be 
appointed to the Committee by the Director of the CMS Office of 
Minority Health. The Committee is established to advise and make 
recommendations to CMS on the identification and resolution of systemic 
barriers to accessing CMS programs that hinder quality of care for 
beneficiaries and consumers. The Committee will focus on health 
disparities in underserved communities, which are populations sharing a 
particular characteristic, as well as geographic communities, that have 
been systematically denied a full opportunity to participate in aspects 
of economic, social, and civic life, such as but not limited to Black, 
Latino, and Indigenous and Native American persons, Asian Americans and 
Pacific Islanders and other persons of color; members of religious 
minorities; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer persons; 
persons with disabilities; persons who live in rural areas; and persons 
otherwise adversely affected by persistent poverty or inequality as 
defined in the Executive Order, Advancing Racial Equity and Support for 
Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government.

DATES: Nominations must be received no later than December 12, 2024.

ADDRESSES: Nominations and requests for copies of the Health Equity 
Advisory Committee (HEAC) Charter may be submitted to the address 
specified below. Please do not submit duplicates. Nominations or 
requests for copies of the HEAC Charter must be submitted by email to 
[email protected] with the subject line ``HEAC Nomination'' or ``HEAC 
Request for Charter,'' depending on the content of the email.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Iris Allen, Centers for Medicare & 
Medicaid Services, HHS, at (410) 786-1633.
    Press inquiries may be submitted by phone at (202) 690-6145 or by 
email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    The Health Equity Advisory Committee (the ``Committee'' or 
``HEAC'') is established to advise and make recommendations to the 
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on the identification 
and resolution of systemic barriers to accessing CMS programs that 
hinder quality of care for beneficiaries and consumers. Consistent with 
Executive Order (E.O.) 13985, Advancing Racial Equity and Support for 
Underserved Communities through the Federal Government,\1\ the 
Committee will seek to advise and make recommendations to CMS on 
ensuring all eligible individuals can access CMS programs and identify 
how CMS can deliver benefits equitably to all people enrolled in CMS 
programs. The Committee will also serve as a dedicated platform for CMS 
collaboration with key interested persons to advance health equity by 
identifying how CMS can promote quality and access for

[[Page 88781]]

beneficiaries of all CMS programs. The Committee will help CMS consider 
a broad range of views and information from interested and impacted 
audiences of CMS programs. The Committee's focus on health equity will 
address health disparities in underserved communities, which are 
populations sharing a particular characteristic, as well as geographic 
communities, that have been systematically denied a full opportunity to 
participate in aspects of economic, social, and civic life, such as but 
not limited to Black, Latino, and Indigenous and Native American 
persons, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and other persons of 
color; members of religious minorities; lesbian, gay, bisexual, 
transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) persons; persons with disabilities; 
persons who live in rural areas; and persons otherwise adversely 
affected by persistent poverty or inequality.\2\
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    \1\ 86 FR 7009, January 25, 2021.
    \2\ 86 FR 7009, January 25, 2021.
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II. Charter, General Responsibilities, and Composition of the CMS 
Health Equity Advisory Committee

A. Charter Information and General Responsibilities

    On July 26, 2024, the Secretary of Health and Human Services 
finalized the Charter establishing the HEAC. The HEAC shall advise the 
Secretary and the CMS Administrator concerning optimal strategies for 
those enrolled in, or eligible for Medicare, Medicaid and CHIP, or 
health coverage available through the Health Insurance Marketplace and 
other CMS programs, that eliminate or reduce systemic barriers 
including:
     Enhancing the federal government's effectiveness in 
understanding and promoting the consistent and systemic fair, just and 
impartial treatment of all individuals as outlined in the Executive 
Order within their health program policies.
     Developing and implementing opportunities to increase 
coordination and engagement with community-based organizations.
     Developing and implementing strategies to assess whether, 
and to what extent, the agency's programs and policies perpetuate 
systemic barriers to opportunities and benefits.
    A copy of the Charter for the HEAC may be obtained by submitting a 
written request to the email address specified in the ADDRESSES section 
of this notice.

B. Composition of the Health Equity Advisory Committee (HEAC)

    The Committee must consist of individuals that have expertise 
working with underserved communities that have been denied fair, just, 
and impartial treatment, such as Black, Latino, American Indian and 
Alaska Native persons, Asian and Pacific Islanders and other persons of 
color; members of religious minorities; LGBTQ+ persons; persons with 
disabilities; persons who live in rural areas; and persons who are 
otherwise adversely affected by persistent poverty or inequality. The 
members may be selected by the CMS Administrator, or their designee, 
and must be knowledgeable in the fields of health equity; outreach to 
underserved populations; community/safety net providers; disability 
policy and access; and/or other relevant health equity matters that are 
presented or addressed by the agency. The Committee may also be 
comprised of Special Government Employees and Representative Members.

III. Submissions of Nominations

    The Secretary is requesting nominations for membership in the HEAC. 
The Secretary also requests nominations for a member to serve as the 
chairperson of the HEAC. When selecting those members, the Secretary 
will consider qualified individuals who are nominated by individuals or 
organizations representing affected stakeholders. The Secretary will 
make every effort to appoint members to serve on the HEAC from among 
those candidates determined to have the technical expertise (including 
expertise from professional and lived experience) required to meet 
specific agency needs and to ensure an appropriate balance of expertise 
and experience among the membership. The diversity of expertise in such 
membership includes expertise on matters such as race, ethnicity, 
gender, disability, sexual orientation, religious affiliation, 
geographic location, political status, and gender identity. The 
Secretary reserves the discretion to appoint members who were not 
nominated in response to this notice to serve on the HEAC if necessary 
to meet specific agency needs in a manner that ensures an appropriate 
balance of membership that is reflective of all of CMS' programs as 
well as a variety of experiences and backgrounds.
    Any interested person or organization may nominate one qualified 
individual (self-nominations will not be accepted). Each nomination 
must include the following information:
     A letter of nomination that contains contact information 
for both the nominator and nominee. One-page maximum.
     A statement from the nominee with an explanation of 
interest in serving on the HEAC and that they are willing to serve on 
the HEAC for at least two years. The nominee should also indicate which 
category or categories of underserved communities specified in section 
II.B their expertise can represent. One-page maximum.
     A resum[eacute] or curriculum vitae that indicates the 
nominee's educational experience and relevant professional and/or lived 
experience. Two-pages maximum.
     Two letters of reference that support the nominee's 
qualifications for membership on the HEAC and how their educational, 
professional, and/or lived experience aligns with at least one or more 
of the 5 priority areas within the CMS Framework for Health Equity or 
one or more of the 6 priority areas within the CMS Framework for 
Advancing Health Care in Rural, Tribal and Geographically Isolated 
Communities. Please choose only one framework to align the nominee's 
experience with a CMS priority area. One-page maximum per letter.
     The 5 Priority Areas within the CMS Framework for Health 
Equity are--
    ++ Priority 1: Expand the Collection, Reporting, and Analysis of 
Standardized Data.
    ++ Priority 2: Assess Causes of Disparities Within CMS Programs and 
Address Inequities in Policies and Operations to Close Gaps.
    ++ Priority 3: Build Capacity of Health Care Organizations and the 
Workforce to Reduce Health and Health Care Disparities.
    ++ Priority 4: Advance Language Access, Health Literacy, and the 
Provision of Culturally Tailored Services.
    ++ Priority 5: Increase All Forms of Accessibility to Health Care 
Services and Coverage.
     The 6 Priority Areas within the CMS Framework for 
Advancing Health Care in Rural, Tribal and Geographically Isolated 
Communities are--
    ++ Priority 1: Apply a Community-Informed Geographic Lens to CMS 
Programs and Policies.
    ++ Priority 2: Increase Collection and Use of Standardized Data to 
Improve Health Care for Rural, Tribal, and Geographically Isolated 
Communities.
    ++ Priority 3: Strengthen and Support Health Care Professionals in 
Rural, Tribal, and Geographically Isolated Communities.
    ++ Priority 4: Optimize Medical and Communication Technology for 
Rural, Tribal, and Geographically Isolated Communities.

[[Page 88782]]

    ++ Priority 5: Expand Access to Comprehensive Health Care Coverage, 
Benefits, and Services and Supports for Individuals in Rural, Tribal, 
and Geographically Isolated Communities.
    ++ Priority 6: Drive Innovation and Value-Based Care in Rural, 
Tribal, and Geographically Isolated Communities.
    To ensure that a nomination is considered, CMS must receive all the 
nomination information specified in section III of this notice by 
December 12, 2024. Nominations should be emailed to the appropriate 
address specified in the ADDRESSES section of this notice.
    The Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services 
(CMS), Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, having reviewed and approved this 
document, authorizes Vanessa Garcia, who is the Federal Register 
Liaison, to electronically sign this document for purposes of 
publication in the Federal Register.

Vanessa Garcia,
Federal Register Liaison, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
[FR Doc. 2024-25966 Filed 11-7-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-01-P
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