50374 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 165 / Friday, August 26, 2005 / Notices 

accreditation program to address the 

changes to the Medicare Advantage rule. 

At this time, we will not be adding the 

prescription drug program requirements 

to the deemable areas. Those 

requirements will be added at a later 

time. The letters should be sent to 

Shaheen Halim, Centers for Medicare & 

Medicaid Services, Mailstop C4–23–07, 

7500 Security Blvd, Baltimore, MD 

21244.

Authority: Section 1852(e)(4) of the Social 

Security Act

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance 

Program No. 93.773, Medicare—Hospital 

Insurance Program; and No. 93.774, 

Medicare—Supplementary Medical 

Insurance Program (42 U.S.C. 1395w–

22(e)(4)).

Dated: July 6, 2005. 

Mark B. McClellan, 

Administrator, Centers for Medicare & 

Medicaid Services.

[FR Doc. 05–16799 Filed 8–25–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4121–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 

Services 

[CMS–1330–N] 

Medicare Program; Town Hall Meeting 

on the Medicare Provider Feedback 

Group (MPFG)—September 12, 2005

AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & 

Medicaid Services (CMS), HHS.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

SUMMARY: This notice announces a 

Town Hall meeting on the Medicare 

Provider Feedback Group (MPFG). The 

purpose of the meeting is to solicit facts 

and opinions from individual Medicare 

providers and suppliers on a variety of 

Medicare policy and operational issues. 

All Medicare providers and suppliers 

that participate in the Medicare 

program, including physicians, 

hospitals, home health agencies, and 

other third-party billers, are invited to 

attend this meeting. We will consider 

facts and opinions obtained from 

individual Medicare providers and 

suppliers. The meeting is open to the 

public, but attendance is limited to 

space available.

DATES: Meeting Date: The Town Hall 

meeting announced in this notice will 

be held on September 12, 2005 from 2 

p.m. to 4 p.m. EST.

ADDRESSES: The Town Hall meeting will 

be held in the Auditorium in the central 

building of the Centers for Medicare & 

Medicaid Services, 7500 Security 

Boulevard, Baltimore, Maryland 21244–

1850.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Eva 

Tetteyfio, (410) 786–3136. You may also 

send e-mail inquiries about this meeting 

to MFG@cms.hhs.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background 

On November 16, 2004, we held the 

first Medicare Provider Feedback Town 

Hall meeting to solicit the facts and 

opinions of individual Medicare 

providers and suppliers. Topics 

discussed during the November 16, 

2004 meeting included Medicare Feefor-Service (FFS) Chronic Care 

Improvement Programs, CMS electronic 

medical records, CMS Provider 

Outreach, and consolidated billing. 

After the meeting, we conducted followup meetings to clarify information 

received and solicited additional 

comments. 

At the September 12, 2005 meeting, 

we will explain our design for gathering 

individual provider and supplier 

information and present topics for 

provider and supplier input. We will 

also solicit facts and opinions on how 

we can better serve the Medicare 

provider and supplier community. 

II. Meeting Format 

This meeting will begin with an 

overview of the goals and objectives of 

the meeting that includes a discussion 

of our efforts to gather feedback from 

individual Medicare providers and 

suppliers. We will introduce the 

meeting moderator. We will also 

introduce members of the Provider 

Communications Group, Center for 

Medicare Management, who will 

provide background information on the 

Medicare Provider Feedback Group 

initiative. Topics to be discussed during 

the meeting include: 

• The important information for 

individual providers and suppliers on 

our implementation of the National 

Provider Identifier (NPI). 

• The elimination of the Standard 

Paper Remittance (SPR) advice notices 

and their effect on individual provider 

and supplier practices. 

• The impact of the implementation 

and procurement of Medicare 

Contracting Reform on individual 

providers and suppliers. 

• A discussion and summary of the 

proposed rule for the 2006 physician 

fee-schedule. 

• The effect of a revised payment 

system for Ambulatory Surgical Center 

(ASC) facility services. 

• Individual perspectives from 

hospitals on how Medicare pays for new 

technologies. 

We will hold a question and answer 

session that offers meeting attendees an 

opportunity to provide feedback on the 

topics discussed. We will also solicit 

suggestions on how this process can be 

improved. 

III. Registration Instructions 

The Provider Communications Group, 

Center for Medicare Management, 

Division of Provider Relations and 

Evaluations is the coordinator for this 

meeting. On-line Registration: An online registration tool is available for 

interested individuals who wish to 

participate in the meeting in person, by 

teleconference, or listen to a digital 

recording of the meeting. The on-line 

registration system will capture contact 

information and practice characteristics 

such as names, e-mail addresses, and 

provider and supplier types.

Registration will begin on August 19, 

2005. Persons interested in attending 

the meeting and providing feedback 

must complete the on-line registration 

located at http://

registration.mshow.com/cms2/. The online registration system will generate a 

confirmation page to indicate the 

completion of your registration. 

Interested parties, who will attend the 

meeting in person, must print the 

confirmation page and bring it with 

them to the meeting. We encourage all 

interested parties to complete the 

registration as soon as possible. 

Registration after 12 p.m. on September 

9, 2005 will delay confirmation, and 

individuals may not be permitted 

entrance to the building. However, 

registrations received after September 

12 will enable individuals to listen to a 

digital recording of the meeting that will 

be available beginning 2 hours after the 

meeting through midnight on September 

14, 2005. The online registration will 

close on September 16, 2005. 

Teleconference Participation:

Individuals may participate in the 

public meeting by teleconference. The 

dial-in number is 877–357–7851 and the 

conference identification number is 

7970566. Physicians and other 

interested parties may speak or ask 

questions during the question and 

answer period facilitated by the 

moderator. Parties may also submit 

written comments to Eva Tetteyfio at 

MFG@cms.hhs.gov. 

IV. Security Information 

Since this meeting will be held in a 

Federal government building, Federal 

security measures are applicable. In 

planning your arrival time, we 

recommend allowing additional time to 

clear security. In order to gain access to 

the building and grounds, participants 

Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 165 / Friday, August 26, 2005 / Notices 50375

must bring a government-issued photo 

identification and a copy of their 

confirmation of registration for the 

meeting. Access may be denied to 

persons without proper identification. 

Security measures also include 

inspection of vehicles, inside and out, at 

the entrance to the grounds. In addition, 

all persons entering the building must 

pass through a metal detector. All items 

brought to CMS, whether personal, for 

the purpose of demonstration, or to 

support a presentation are subject to 

inspection. Laptops and other computer 

equipment must be registered with the 

security desk upon entry. We cannot 

assume responsibility for coordination 

of the receipt, transfer, transport, 

storage, set-up, safety, or timely arrival 

of any personal belongings or items 

used for a demonstration or to support 

a presentation. Participants should email presentations to us before the 

meeting to ensure that we have a backup copy in the event of computer 

problems or lack of software or memory 

card compatibility. Please note that 

CMS headquarters is a smoke-free 

facility. 

Special Accommodations: Individuals 

requiring sign language interpretation or 

other special accommodations must 

contact Eva Tetteyfio by e-mail at 

MFG@cms.hhs.gov by September 6, 

2005.

Authority: Section 1811 and 1831 of the 

Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395c and 

1395j).

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance 

Program No. 93.774, Medicare—

Supplementary Medical Insurance Program)

Dated: August 9, 2005. 

Mark B. McClellan, 

Administrator, Centers for Medicare & 

Medicaid Services.

[FR Doc. 05–16797 Filed 8–25–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4120–03–P

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 

Services 

[CMS–4111–N] 

Medicare Program; Meeting of the 

Advisory Panel on Medicare 

Education, September 27, 2005

AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & 

Medicaid Services (CMS), HHS.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 

U.S.C. Appendix 2, section 10(a) (Pub. 

L. 92–463), this notice announces a 

meeting of the Advisory Panel on 

Medicare Education (the Panel) on 

September 27, 2005. 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 meeting is open to the 

public.

DATES: The meeting is scheduled for 

September 27, 2005 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 

p.m., e.d.t. 

Deadline for Presentations and 

Comments: September 20, 2005, 12 

noon, e.d.t.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at 

the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill, 400 

New Jersey Avenue, NW., Washington, 

DC 20001, (202) 737–1234.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Lynne Johnson, Health Insurance 

Specialist, Division of Partnership 

Development, Center for Beneficiary 

Choices, Centers for Medicare & 

Medicaid Services, 7500 Security 

Boulevard, Mail stop S2–23–05, 

Baltimore, MD 21244–1850, (410) 786–

0090. Please refer to the CMS Advisory 

Committees’ Information Line (1–877–

449–5659 toll free)/(410–786–9379 

local) or the Internet (http://

www.cms.hhs.gov/faca/apme/

default.asp) for additional information 

and updates on committee activities, or 

contact Ms. Johnson via e-mail at 

Lynne.Johnson@cms.hhs.gov. Press 

inquiries are handled through the CMS 

Press Office at (202) 690–6145.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 

222 of the Public Health Service Act (42 

U.S.C. 217a), as amended, grants to the 

Secretary of Health and Human Services 

(the Secretary) the authority to establish 

an advisory panel for the purpose of 

advising the Secretary in connection 

with any of his functions. The Secretary 

signed the charter establishing this 

Panel on January 21, 1999 (64 FR 7849) 

and approved the renewal of the charter 

on January 14, 2005. 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 develop and implement a 

national Medicare education program 

that describes the options for selecting 

a health plan under Medicare. 

• To enhance the Federal 

government’s effectiveness in informing 

the Medicare consumer, including the 

appropriate use of public-private 

partnerships. 

• 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 health plan options and build 

a community infrastructure for 

information, counseling, and assistance. 

The current members of the Panel are: 

Dr. Drew E. Altman, President and Chief 

Executive Officer, Henry J. Kaiser 

Family Foundation; Dr. Jane Delgado, 

Chief Executive Officer, National 

Alliance for Hispanic Health; Clayton 

Fong, President and Chief Executive 

Officer, National Asian Pacific Center 

on Aging; Thomas Hall, Chairman and 

Chief Executive Officer, Cardio-Kinetics, 

Inc.; The Honorable Bobby Jindal, 

United States Congress; David Knutson, 

Director, Health System Studies, Park 

Nicollet Institute for Research and 

Education; Dr. David Lansky, Director, 

Health Program, Markle Foundation; 

Donald J. Lott, Executive Director, 

Indian Family Health Clinic; Dr. Frank 

I. Luntz, President and Chief Executive 

Officer, Luntz Research Companies; Dr. 

Daniel Lyons, Senior Vice President, 

Government Programs, Independence 

Blue Cross; Katherine Metzger, Director, 

Medicare and Medicaid Programs, 

Fallon Community Health Plan; Dr. 

Keith Mueller, Professor and Section 

Head, Health Services Research and 

Rural Health Policy, University of 

Nebraska; Lee Partridge, Senior Health 

Policy Advisor, National Partnership for 

Women and Families; Dr. Marlon Priest, 

Professor of Emergency Medicine, 

University of Alabama at Birmingham; 

Susan O. Raetzman, Associate Director, 

Public Policy Institute, AARP; Rebecca 

Snead, Administrative Manager, 

National Council of State Pharmacy 

Association Executives; Catherine 

Valenti, Chairperson and Chief 

Executive Officer, Caring Voice 

Coalition, and Grant Wedner.

The agenda for the September 27, 

2005 meeting will include the 

following: 

• Recap of the previous (June 21, 

2005) meeting. 

• Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 

Services update. 

• Medicare Modernization Act: 

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