[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 207 (Friday, October 25, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63986-63987]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-25008]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
[CMS-3289-N]
Medicare Program; Request for Nominations for Members for the
Medicare Evidence Development & Coverage Advisory Committee
AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, HHS.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: This notice announces the request for nominations for
membership on the Medicare Evidence Development & Coverage Advisory
Committee (MEDCAC). Among other duties, the MEDCAC provides advice and
guidance to the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human
Services (the Secretary) and the Administrator of the Centers for
Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) concerning the adequacy of
scientific evidence available to CMS for ``reasonable and necessary''
determinations under Medicare.
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 wish to ensure adequate representation of
the interests of both women and men, members of all ethnic groups and
physically challenged individuals. Therefore, we encourage nominations
of qualified candidates who can represent these interests.
The MEDCAC reviews and evaluates medical literature, technology
assessments, and hears public testimony on the evidence available to
address the impact of medical items and services on health outcomes of
Medicare beneficiaries.
DATES: Nominations must be received by Monday, December 9, 2013.
ADDRESSES: You may mail nominations for membership to the following
address: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Center for Clinical
Standards and Quality, Attention: Maria Ellis, 7500 Security Boulevard,
Mail Stop: S3-02-01, Baltimore, MD 21244.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Maria Ellis, Executive Secretary for
the MEDCAC, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Center for
Clinical Standards and Quality, Coverage and Analysis Group, S3-02-01,
7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21244 or contact Ms. Ellis by
phone (410-786-0309) or via email at [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
The Secretary signed the initial charter for the Medicare Coverage
Advisory Committee (MCAC) on November 24, 1998. A notice in the Federal
Register (63 FR 68780) announcing establishment of the MCAC was
published on December 14, 1998. The MCAC name was updated to more
accurately reflect the purpose of the committee and on January 26,
2007, the Secretary published a notice in the Federal Register (72 FR
3853), announcing that the Committee's name changed to the Medicare
Evidence Development & Coverage Advisory Committee (MEDCAC). The
charter for the committee was renewed by the Secretary on November 24,
2012. The current charter is effective for 2 years.
The MEDCAC is governed by provisions of the Federal Advisory
Committee Act, Public Law 92-463, as amended (5 U.S.C. App. 2), which
sets forth standards for the formulation and use of advisory
committees, and is authorized by section 222 of the Public Health
Service Act as amended (42 U.S.C. 217A).
The MEDCAC consists of a pool of 100 appointed members including:
94 voting members of whom 6 are designated patient advocates, and 6
nonvoting representatives of industry interests. Members generally are
recognized authorities in clinical medicine including subspecialties,
administrative medicine, public health, biological and physical
sciences, epidemiology and biostatistics, clinical trial design, health
care data management and analysis, patient advocacy, health care
economics,
[[Page 63987]]
medical ethics or other relevant professions.
The MEDCAC works from an agenda provided by the Designated Federal
Official. The MEDCAC reviews and evaluates medical literature,
technology assessments, and hears public testimony on the evidence
available to address the impact of medical items and services on health
outcomes of Medicare beneficiaries. The MEDCAC may also advise Centers
for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) as part of Medicare's
``coverage with evidence development'' initiative.
II. Provisions of the Notice
As of June 2014, there will be 30 membership terms expiring. Of the
30 memberships expiring, 1 is nonvoting industry representative, 3 are
voting patient advocates and the remaining 26 membership openings are
for the general MEDCAC voting membership.
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 wish to ensure adequate
representation of the interests of both women and men, members of all
ethnic groups and physically challenged individuals. Therefore, we
encourage nominations of qualified candidates from these groups.
All nominations must be accompanied by curricula vitae. Nomination
packages must be sent to Maria Ellis at the address listed in the
ADDRESSES section of this notice. Nominees for voting membership must
also have expertise and experience in one or more of the following
fields:
Clinical medicine including subspecialties
Administrative medicine
Public health
Biological and physical sciences
Epidemiology and biostatistics
Clinical trial design
Health care data management and analysis
Patient advocacy
Health care economics
Medical ethics
Other relevant professions
We are looking particularly for experts in a number of fields.
These include cancer screening, genetic testing, clinical epidemiology;
psychopharmacology; screening and diagnostic testing analysis; and
vascular surgery. We also need experts in biostatistics in clinical
settings, dementia treatment, 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
Email 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 a nonvoting 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
is named. 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: October 18, 2013.
Patrick Conway,
CMS Chief Medical Officer and Director, Center for Clinical Standards
and Quality, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
[FR Doc. 2013-25008 Filed 10-24-13; 8:45 am]
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