Medicare Program: Re-Chartering of the Advisory Panel on Medicare Education (APME) and Notice of the APME Meeting-February 24, 2005

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 the Department 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. The charter renewal was signed by the Secretary on January 14, 2005. The charter will terminate on January 14, 2007, unless renewed by the Secretary.

In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. Appendix 2, section 10(a) (Pub. L. 92-463), this notice also announces a meeting of the Panel on February 24, 2005. This meeting is open to the public.

DATES:

The meeting is scheduled for February 24, 2005 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., e.s.t.

Deadline for Presentations and Comments: February 17, 2005, 12 noon, e.s.t.

ADDRESSES:

The meeting will be held at the Loews L'Enfant Plaza Hotel, 480 L'Enfant Plaza, Washington, DC 20024, (202) 484-1000.

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 ljohnson3@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 the Department of Health and Human Services (the Secretary) the authority to establish an advisory panel if the Secretary finds the panel necessary and in the public interest. The Secretary signed the charter establishing the Advisory Panel on Medicare Education (the Panel) on January 21, 1999 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; James L. Bildner, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, New Horizons Partners, LLC; 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.; Bobby Jindal; 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; David Null, Financial Advisor, Merrill Lynch; 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; Catherine Valenti, Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer, Caring Voice Coalition; and Grant Wedner, Senior Director, New Services Department, WebMD.

The agenda for the February 24, 2005 meeting will include the following:

• Recap of the previous (November 30, 2004) meeting.
• Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services update.
• Medicare Modernization Act: education and outreach 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, 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 or by e-mail at ljohnson3@cms.hhs.gov no later than 12 noon, e.s.t., February 17, 2005. 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 by 12 noon, e.s.t., February 17, 2005. The meeting is open to the public, but attendance is limited to the space available.

Special Accommodation: Individuals requiring sign language interpretation or other special accommodations should contact Ms. Johnson at least 15 days before the meeting.

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)