13442 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 58 / Friday, March 27, 2009 / Notices 

Committee works from an agenda 

provided by the Designated Federal 

Official that lists specific issues, and 

develops technical advice to assist us in 

determining reasonable and necessary 

applications of medical services and 

technology when we make national 

coverage decisions for Medicare. The 

Committee also advises CMS as part of 

Medicare’s coverage evidence 

development activities. 

II. Provisions of the Notice 

As of May 2009, there will be 20 

terms of membership expiring, 2 of 

which are nonvoting industry 

representatives and 2 are voting patient 

advocates. 

Accordingly, we are requesting 

nominations for both voting and 

nonvoting members to serve on the 

MEDCAC. Nominees are selected based 

upon their individual qualifications and 

not as representatives of professional 

associations or societies. We have a 

special interest in ensuring that women, 

minority groups, and physically 

challenged individuals are adequately 

represented on the MEDCAC. Therefore, 

we encourage nominations of qualified 

candidates from these groups. 

All nominations must be 

accompanied by curricula vitae. 

Nomination packages must be sent to 

the address listed in the ADDRESSES

section of this notice. Nominees for 

voting membership must meet MEDCAC 

criteria by having expertise and 

experience in one or more of the 

following fields: 

• Clinical medicine of all specialties. 

• Administrative medicine. 

• Public health. 

• Patient advocacy. 

• Biologic and physical sciences. 

• Health care data and information 

management and analysis. 

• The economics of health care. 

• Medical ethics. 

• Other related professions such as 

epidemiology and biostatistics, and 

methodology of clinical trial design. 

We are looking for experts in a 

number of fields. Our most critical 

needs are for experts in Bayesian 

statistics; clinical epidemiology; clinical 

trial methodology; knee, hip, and other 

joint replacement surgery; 

ophthalmology; psychopharmacology; 

registries; rheumatology; screening and 

diagnostic testing analysis; and stroke. 

We also need experts in biostatistics in 

clinical settings, cardiovascular 

epidemiology, cost effectiveness 

analysis, dementia, endocrinology, 

geriatrics, gynecology, minority health, 

observational research design, stroke 

epidemiology, and women’s health. 

The nomination letter must include a 

statement that the nominee is willing to 

serve as a member of the MEDCAC and 

appears to have no conflict of interest 

that would preclude membership. We 

are requesting that all curricula vitae 

include the following: 

• Date of birth. 

• Place of birth. 

• Social security number. 

• Title and current position. 

• Professional affiliation. 

• Home and business address. 

• Telephone and fax numbers. 

• E-mail address. 

• List of areas of expertise. 

In the nomination letter, we are 

requesting that the nominee specify 

whether they are applying for a voting 

patient advocate position, for another 

voting position, or as a non-voting 

industry representative. Potential 

candidates will be asked to provide 

detailed information concerning such 

matters as financial holdings, 

consultancies, and research grants or 

contracts in order to permit evaluation 

of possible sources of conflict of 

interest. 

Members are invited to serve for 

overlapping 2-year terms. A member 

may serve after the expiration of the 

member’s term until a successor takes 

office. Any interested person may 

nominate one or more qualified persons. 

Self-nominations are also accepted. 

The current Secretary’s Charter for the 

MEDCAC is available on the CMS Web 

site at: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/FACA/ 

Downloads/medcaccharter.pdf, 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: 5 U.S.C. App. 2, section 10(a)(1) 

and (a)(2). 

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance 

Program No. 93.773, Medicare—Hospital 

Insurance; and Program No. 93.774, 

Medicare—Supplementary Medical 

Insurance Program) 

Dated: March 18, 2009. 

Barry M. Straube, 

Chief Medical Officer, Director, Office of 

Clinical Standards and Quality, Centers for 

Medicare & Medicaid Services. 

[FR Doc. E9–6772 Filed 3–26–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4120–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 

Services 

[CMS–7013–N] 

Medicare Program; Announcement of 

Rechartering and Meeting of the 

Advisory Panel on Medicare 

Education, April 22, 2009 

AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & 

Medicaid Services (CMS), HHS. 

ACTION: Notice of meeting. 

SUMMARY: This notice announces the 

renewal of the charter of the Advisory 

Panel on Medicare Education (the 

Panel). 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 the Medicare 

program. This notice also announces a 

meeting of the Panel in accordance with 

the Federal Advisory Committee Act. 

This meeting is open to the public. 

DATES: Meeting Date: April 22, 2009 

from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., eastern 

daylight time (e.d.t.). 

Deadline for Meeting Registration, 

Presentations and Comments: April 15, 

2009, 5 p.m., e.d.t. 

Deadline for Requesting Special 

Accommodations: April 8, 2009, 5 p.m., 

e.d.t. 

ADDRESSES: Meeting Location: Hilton 

Washington Hotel Embassy Row, 2015 

Massachusetts Avenue, NW., 

Washington, DC 20036, (202) 265–6800. 

Meeting Registration, Presentations, 

and Written Comments: Lynne Johnson, 

Designated Federal Official, Division of 

Forum and Conference Development, 

Office of External Affairs, Centers for 

Medicare & Medicaid Services, 7500 

Security Boulevard, Mailstop S1–05–06, 

Baltimore, MD 21244–1850 or contact 

Ms. Johnson via e-mail at 

Lynne.Johnson@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 Lynne Johnson at the address 

listed in the ADDRESSES section of this 

notice or by telephone at (410) 786– 

0090, by the date listed in the DATES

section of this notice. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Lynne Johnson, (410) 786–0090. Please 

refer to the CMS Advisory Committees’ 

Information Line (1–877–449–5659 toll 

free)/(410–786–9379 local) or the 

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Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 58 / Friday, March 27, 2009 / Notices 13443 

Internet (http://www.cms.hhs.gov/ 

FACA/04_APME.asp) for additional 

information and updates on committee 

activities. Press inquiries are handled 

through the CMS Press Office at (202) 

690–6145. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

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. 

1311(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, 

2009. The Panel advises and makes 

recommendations to the Secretary and 

the Administrator of the Centers for 

Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on 

opportunities to enhance the 

effectiveness of consumer education 

strategies concerning the Medicare 

program. 

The goals of the Panel are as follows: 

• To provide recommendations on 

the development and implementation of 

a national Medicare education program 

that describes benefit options under 

Medicare. 

• To enhance the Federal 

government’s effectiveness in informing 

the Medicare consumer. 

• To make recommendations on how 

to expand outreach to vulnerable and 

underserved communities, including 

racial and ethnic minorities, in the 

context of a national Medicare 

education program. 

• To assemble an information base of 

best practices for helping consumers 

evaluate benefit options and build a 

community infrastructure for 

information, counseling, and assistance. 

The current members of the Panel are: 

Gwendolyn T. Bronson, SHINE/SHIP 

Counselor, Massachusetts SHINE 

Program; Dr. Yanira Cruz, President and 

Chief Executive Officer, National 

Hispanic Council on Aging; Stephen L. 

Fera, Vice President, Social Mission 

Programs, Independence Blue Cross; 

Clayton Fong, President and Chief 

Executive Officer, National Asian 

Pacific Center on Aging; Nan KirstenForte ́, Executive Vice President, 

Consumer Services, WebMD; Cathy 

Graeff, R.Ph., M.B.A., National, Senior 

Vice President, Communications and 

Industry Relations, National Council for 

Prescription Drug Programs; Dr. Carmen 

R. Green, Director, Pain Research 

Division, Associate Professor, 

Anesthesiology, University of Michigan 

Health System; Dr. Jessie C. Gruman, 

President and Chief Executive Officer, 

Center for the Advancement of Health; 

Cindy Hounsell, J.D., President, 

Women’s Institute for a Secure 

Retirement; Kathy Hughes, Vice 

Chairwoman, Oneida Nation; Gail Hunt, 

President and Chief Executive Officer, 

National Alliance for Caregiving; Dr. 

Andrew M. Kramer, Professor of 

Medicine, University of Colorado, 

Denver; Dr. Frank B. McArdle, Manager, 

Hewitt Research Office, Hewitt 

Associates; Sandy Markwood, Chief 

Executive Officer, National Area 

Agencies on Aging; Robert L. Mollica, 

Consumer; David Roberts, M.P.A., Vice 

President, Government Relations, 

Healthcare Information and 

Management Systems Society; Julie 

Bode ̈n Schmidt, Associate Vice 

President, Training and Technical 

Assistance Department, National 

Association of Community Health 

Centers; Rebecca Snead, Executive Vice 

President and Chief Executive Officer, 

National Alliance of State Pharmacy 

Associations. 

The agenda for the April 22, 2009 

meeting will include the following: 

• Recap of the previous (January 13, 

2009) meeting. 

• Subgroup Committee Work 

Summary. 

• Medicare Outreach and Education 

Strategies. 

• Public Comment. 

• Listening Session with CMS 

Leadership. 

• 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 Lynne 

Johnson 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 Ms. Johnson at the address 

listed in the ADDRESSES 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 Ms. 

Johnson 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 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: March 18, 2009. 

Charlene Frizzera, 

Acting Administrator, Centers for Medicare 

& Medicaid Services. 

[FR Doc. E9–6773 Filed 3–26–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4120–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 

Services 

[CMS–2282–N] 

Medicare, Medicaid, and CLIA 

Programs; Approval of the American 

Osteopathic Association as a CLIA 

Accreditation Organization 

AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & 

Medicaid Services (CMS), HHS. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: This notice announces CMS’ 

grant of deeming authority to the 

American Osteopathic Association 

(AOA) under the Clinical Laboratory 

Improvement Amendments of 1988 

(CLIA) program. We have determined 

that the requirements of the AOA 

accreditation process are equal to or 

more stringent than the CLIA condition 

level requirements, and that the AOA 

has met the requirements of CMS. 

Consequently, laboratories that are 

voluntarily accredited by the AOA and 

continue to meet the AOA requirements 

will be deemed to meet the CLIA 

condition level requirements for 

laboratories and therefore are not 

subject to routine inspection by State 

survey agencies to determine their 

compliance with Federal requirements. 

They are, however, subject to Federal 

validation and complaint investigation 

surveys conducted by CMS or its 

designee. 

DATES: Effective Date: This notice is 

effective from March 27, 2009 to March 

27, 2015. 

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